ews: 76-DAILY dvertising: 764-0554 op,'Elan1 tti 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 .