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One hundred seven years of editordfreedom
Thursday
March 19, 1998
..
I
ate of
nteflex
rogram
certain
aily Staff Reporter
The Inteflex program, the University's
ght-year medical program that allows
dents to reserve a spot in the Medical
chool as seniors in high school, may not
e offered to students applying to the
niversity for the fall of 1999.
lphonse Burdi, co-director of the
flex program, said efforts are under-
ay to evaluate the program and decide
s fate.
"There's a committee to be established
at will see how Inteflex can best serve
e (College of Literature, Science and
e Arts)," Burdi said, adding that the
mmittee will likely consist of Inteflex
dents, as well as officials from both
e College of Literature, Science and
e Arts and the Medical School.
e said the committee will have to
swer the question of "how can the suc-
ss of Inteflex be used in a broad com-
unity of LSA students who wish to
repare for medicine?"
Inteflex is a rigorous program in
hich 35 students enroll in LSA as first-
ear students and receive their bachelors
d medical degrees in eight years. The
rogram offers special seminars and
ess to Inteflex advisers.
icholas Steneck, co-director of the
teflex program, said the current plan is
ot to eliminate the program completely,
ut rather to "refocus" it.
Steneck said he thinks it is possible to
aintain the program and accommodate
e needs of other pre-medical
niversity students.
"I don't think it's one or the other"
teneck said. "I think we can do both."
Matthew Holtzman, an Inteflex
r, said that while he does not think
e Inteflex curriculum should be elim-
ated, he thinks it may need changes.
"It is sort of catering to 35 students a
ear when there are over 2,000 pre-
edical students at the University"
oltzman said.
See INTEFLEX, Page 7A
0e
pproves
crease
roposal would double
riginally announced
unding increase
Mike Spahn
ally Staff Reporter
The state Senate Appropriations
ommittee unanimously approved a
roposal yesterday that would increase
ng to state colleges and universities
a hree percent.
This is double the amount suggested
y Gov. John Engler in his January bud-
et proposal.
"We always aimed toward getting a
vel of funding for universities that was
onsistent with past years," said state Sen.
ohn Schwarz (R-Battle Creek), who
hairs the Appropriations Subcommittee
n Higher Education. "We did what we
eit was doable and reasonable"
n. Harry Gast (R-St. Joseph), chair
fthe Senate Appropriations Committee,
d Engler's proposal was not accept-
ble, even though it did include subsidies
or community college and some univer-
ity employee pension plans.
"We thought this was not adequate
use there was no increase in the
ase" appropriation, Gast said.
The University will receive a total of
74 million under the new plan, which
considerably more pleasing to
niversity officials than was the original
udget proposal.
Walter Harrison, secretary and vice
resident for University relations, -said
°e proposal will aid the University.
"W,._ ,, or n r iia i n .4rin a
efending what
could
be
Connerly met
with debate,
high emotion
By Lee Palmer
and Peter Romer-Friedman
Daily Staff Reporters
More than 500 students fought their way into the
Michigan League last night to hear anti-affirmative
action leader Ward Connerly speak. The crowd filled the
ballroom to capacity, leaving another 100 students bar-
ricaded outside chanting, "Let us in."
Although the speech was widely publicized as an
opportunity for Connerly, who was instrumental in elimi-
nating affirmative action in the state of California through
Prop. 209, to state his position on affirmative action, the
evening turned into a heated debate between Connerly and
the audience.
Connerly, who served on the University of California
Board of Regents when it voted to end its use of affir-
mative action in its admissions, began by asking the
audience to respect his viewpoint in order to allow for a
constructive dialogue. He sppke of the hardships he
endured as a black man growing up in Mississippi and
he described the path he took to become one of the main
opponents of what he calls "racial preferences."
"I ask myself three questions: How long should I be
angry, at whom do I direct that anger and, most impor-
tantly, what good does that do me?"
The majority of the crowd jeered Connerly during the
speech, attacking him for his support of a movement
they said will continue to resegregate the nation.
Despite the vocal opposition-to Connerly, a handful of
supporters stood in the ballroom to welcome him and held
signs stating "We support Ward and his efforts to end
racism.'
Speaking for only 10 minutes, Connerly presented his
argument and then opened the floor for discussion..
"Make no mistake about it, I do not want to eliminate all
affirmative action," Connerly said, adding that he consid-
ers racial preferences unconstitutional and immoral.
"We want to abolish those programs that treat people
differently," Connerly said.
When the dialogue began, audience members ques-
tioned Connerly's role as a black leader who has "sold
out his own peopl"
Connerly said he does not view himself as "a black
man, but as an American." He admitted that affirmative
action has helped him attain success, but said "that does
not mean that I cannot take a position."
Connerly appeared frustrated by the crowd's accusations
that he was avoiding their questions. At one point, he threat-
ened to "turn around and walk out the door" if audience
members would not let him respond to their statements.
LSA sophomore Andre Vrabel said he was disap-
pointed by the crowd's behavior.
"I think this reflects badly on our school and it shows
that students here have very little respect for freedom of
speech;' Vrabel said. "This is a grotesque parody of
what a civil debate should be"
But Connerly said after the event that Ann Arbor was
"no different than any place else" and that such reaction
is "customary." The same display of emotions in
See CONNERLY, Page 5A
Californian .stirs
conflict inLansing
LANSING (AP) - Hoots, catcalls and jeers greeted a
California critic of affirmative action yesterday as a state
Senate committee debated wiping out affirmative action in
Michigan.
"How do you sleep at night?" called out one spectator
from the hostile audience crowded into the meeting room.
The comment didn't appear to bother Ward Connerly, the
University of California regent who led the drive for a
statewide ban on affirmative action programs in higher edu-
cation, as he faced the Senate Government Operations
Committee.
"There are programs that treat people differently on the
basis of skin color,' he told the committee. "That is dis-
crimination."
Connerly testified as the Senate committee began consid-
ering a proposed constitutional amendment to prohibit dis-
crimination and preferential treatment to anyone in employ-
ment, education and public contracting on the basis of race,
sex, ethnicity, religion, color or national origin.
The legislation would exempt residency preferences and
policies needed to protect federal funds and permit consid-
eration of economic status not related to race, sex or other
such factors. It also would allow education preferences
designed to promote diversity as long as they were based on
See LANSING, Page SA
EMILY NATHAN/Daily
ABOVE: Police enforce the "one in, one out" policy to people seeking
entrance into the Michigan League where Ward Connerly spoke last night.
More than 100 people were unable to attend the event last night..
BELOW: Ward Connerly, a former regent at the University of California, speaks
to a crowded Michigan League last night against the use of racial
preferences.
Candidates continue
publicizing vote
By Katie Plona
Daily Staff Reporter
One year ago, candidates for Michigan
Student Assembly were seen on the Diag
dressed in costumes and using a micro-
phone to encourage students to vote.
But this year, candidates campaign-
ing on the first day of the assembly's
election steered away from gimmicks
and focused more on the issues.
Their efforts may have paid off.
MSA Election Director Rajeshri
Gandhi said that as of 8 p.m. yesterday
2,650 students had voted. The number
of students who voted online is already
at least half of the total number of stu-
dents who voted in last year's presiden-
tial elections.
"I can assume that our (overall) per-
centage is going to go up this year,"
Gandhi said. "I think people are becom-
ing more familiar with the whole
process"
Members of the Defend Affirmative
Action Party publicized plans to protest
a speech last night by former University
of pafrna Ro-, tWadCn-,,
types of actions demonstrate how the
party is matching its ideas with actions.
"It's more important to say what we
stand for" said LSA sophomore Shaba
Andrich, who is running for an LSA
seat on the assembly with the Defend
Affirmative Action party. "MSA elec-
tions shouldn't be a popularity contest."
Members of the Students' Party
handed out free slices of pizza to entice
potential voters, as they did last year.
"This is a good way to grab atten-
tion" said Jeff Harris, a Students' Party
candidate who is running for a seat on
LSA-SG.
Along the same lines, Students' Party
presidential candidate Trent Thompson
said he campaigned today by asking
students what they thought about the
campaign issues.
"I think we're really getting out to a
lot of students," said Thompson, an
LSA representative, adding that while
he may not be reaching the maximum
number of students possible, his con-
versations with individuals have been
mre in.-dpth
Candidates
voice ideas
on grace
By Gerard Cohen-Vrignaud
Daily Staff Re porter
The debate on affirmative action has
not escaped the attention of Michigan
Student Assembly candidates, who are
voicing their opinions on what MSA's
role should in the,
debate on
University admis-
sions policies.
Members of the
D e f e n d
A ff i r ma t i v e
Action Party pick-4a
eted outside of the Affirmative
Michigan League Action
yesterday before
Ward Connerly, a prominent advocate
for the deconstruction of affirmative
action in California's public universi-
ties, spoke on the subject of preferen-
tial treatment in admissions.
LSA sophomore Matthew Shultz,
who is running for an MSA representa-
tive seat with the DAA Party and was
. ,s .