W Em,"w ,rni ws: 76-DAILY vertising: 764-0554 One hundred seven years of editorialfreedom Friday March 20, 1998 , aS' n... . a JJ "[. ..f/ " ! ': w e e .- .. -. -3 - - ~orders ~ued for icing 9ractices- aonily Staff Reporter Voter turnout up 20 percent By Gerard CohenVrignaud Daily Staff Reporter About 18 percent of University students voted in this week's Michigan Student Assembly elec- tions - 1,000 more than voted last winter, according to estimates by MSA officials last night. Elections Director Rajeshri Gandhi said official numbers and election results should be released today. Gandhi said various factors con- tributed to the increase in student voting. "I think the increased publicity, the diversity of the candidates and the online voting all contributed to people being more active in this election," said Gandhi, an Education senior. The high level of attention given to campaign issues, such as affirmative action and efforts to gain a student regent, may have been a source of the rise in student participation. "With the recent campus issues, activism has increased and voting is a simple and effective way to join the move- ment," Gandhi said. Many candidates attributed the rise in voter participation to the ease of com- puter voting, which was instituted last winter. In addition to voting online, stu- dents were able to read about the candi- dates' platforms on Websites. This year's election season has been very focused, with candidates relying more on issue stances than campaign gimmicks. "I think the online voting has a lot to do with it because it makes the voting process more accessible to everyone, and it removes the excuse that you can't interact with candidates;' said LSA first- year student Nora Coleman, an indepen- dent candidate for MSA representative. 'I think it's been a much more posi- tive campaign," said LSA sophomore Heidi Lubin, an independent candidate running for MSA representative. "It's been focused on projects. I think that people are getting used to an MSA that works with students and administration to get things done." The convenience of online ballot- ing has meant that students are more willing to put forth the effort to vote. "I think it's really good because it allows students to vote at a more conve- nient time" said LSA first-year student Craig Garthwaite. "It gives you the time to go through and do it at my own pace." LSA junior Ferris Hussein said his campaign to become MSA president has managed to get more votes out from the University's fraternities and sororities. "I think we've been able to shake things up," said Hussein, who is run- ning as an independent candidate. "We've forced people to face certain issues that are important to everyone on campus." Candidates continued campaigning See TURNOUT, Page 2 Voter turnout: Winter 1997: 15 percent total turnout Fall 1997: 12 percent turnout Winter 1998: An estimated 18 percent turnout Reasons for Increase: Online voting Availability of candidates' platforms ® Increased interest in issues, including affirmative action and student regent proposal * Increased publicity The American Booksellers ssociation and 25 independent okstores have filed a lawsuit in a .S. District Court accusing Barnes Noble and Borders Group, Inc. of aging in illegal pricing prac- The lawsuit, filed in California on ednesday, claims the two national ains are using their market power to ssure publishers into granting them ial discounts and privileges. It also leges that Borders and Barnes & Noble their price advantages to drive inde- ndent bookstores out of business. The number of independent book- Hers has dropped 42 percent between and 1996, according to an ABA s release. "Using market pressure to gain vored terms in discounts is illegal der the Robinson-Packman Antitrust ct," ABA Chief Executive Officer in Domnitz said. In filing the law- lit, "we are having the wherewithal to y we want things to be on a fair play- g field." Domnitz said plaintiffs are requesting ory damages and immediate cessa- >n of "anticompetitive" activities. Under California law, if the lawsuit successful, defendants also may be quired to pay the state an amount uivalent to the illegal profits earned California during the past four ars. Barnes & Noble and Borders officials fused to comment on the lawsuit. Kate Berkhardt, co-owner of on Language Bookstore, said the expansion of large national chains ith illegal price advantages has driven tany independent bookstores out of msiness. "It's clear that (the chains) are, atting major discounts and its get- ng harder for the independent 3okstores to survive," Berkhardt 'id. "There's a network of feminist okstores (that we're a member of) has been around for years and me of them have been closing wn because of competition from ain bookstores moving into wn." But independent bookstores' inter- ts do not necessarily coincide with ose of consumers, said University California at Los Angeles Law hool Prof. John Wiley. He said if BA's allegations are true, and the wsuit is successful, retail book * See BOOKSTORES, Page 2 Playing with the future Board OKs high-tech scoreb oards By Jennifer Yacmin Daily Staff Reporter By the start of next year's Michigan football season, both Michigan Stadium and Crisler Arena will have Internet-com- patible video screens, replacing the current scoreboards in both arenas, if a proposal is approved by the University Board of Regents today. The Board in Control of Intercollegiate Athletics passed the proposal last night. "The video screens at the stadium are made of a number of components," said Thomas Cecchini, director of marketing and communications for the Athletic Department, who organized the prposal. The project's components include the installation of video scoreboards - two large boards in Michigan Stadium and four smaller boards that will replace the current dot matrix boards at Crisler - along with Internet capability and production facili- ties, Cecchini said. The total cost of the system is estimated at $7.9 million. But unlike other universities with similar video systems, the University will not accept advertisements to adorn the new boards "This will be an Athletic Department venture. We will take funds from the resources and reserves we currently have;' Athletic Director Tom Goss said. "There will be no scoreboard advertising in Michigan Stadium. "Michigan is one of the two (college) stadiums we know of to have no commercialism in their stadiums. We think it is crit- ical that we maintain a commercialism-free stadium," he said. Goss said the cost of the new arena system will not hinder the progression of other projects currently planned within the Athletic Department. "We see this as a revenue stream that will enable us to accomplish some of the other priorities on the project list," Goss said. Alumni will be offered Internet subscriptions, which will allow them to view game replays, coach interviews and high- lights from Michigan's athletic history. The site should gen- See SCOREBOARD, Page 7 PAUL TALANIAN/Daily Computer engineering senior Chanda Spence and Derrick Scott, director of the University's Minority Engineering Program, check out screens inside miniature fax machines that work in conjunction with phones. The Motorola Expo held in the EECS Building on North Campus yesterday featured several new technological products on display. See story, page 3. I Conviction made ii Budzyn retrial udge to sentence. rmer Detroit police fficer on April 17 DETROIT (AP) - A white police ficer was found guilty of involuntary anslaughter yesterday at his retrial for e flashlight beating death of a black otorist, as jurors opted not to convict m of murder again. alter Budzyn had faced second- tee murder charges after his 1993 cond-degree murder conviction for lalice Green's death was overturned in irt because the jury watched "Malcolm " during a break in deliberations. The case had highlighted racial ten- ons in the city, and jurors in the first jal were aware of fears that violence >uld break out if Budzyn and his part- r were acquitted. embers of Green's family hugged ch other as yesterday's verdict was nounced and said they were happy ith the conviction, even though it was ,r a lesser charge. "That's what I was looking for: the ord guilty," said Treise Green, Malice A second-degree murder conviction would have carried a potential life sen- tence. Involuntary manslaughter is pun- ishable by up to 15 years in prison - but prosecutor Doug Baker suggested that Budzyn might not be returned to prison because of the 4 1/2 years he has already served. "If that's what the judge seeks to impose (time served), that would not upset me," he said. As the verdict was read, Budzyn wore the same steely expression he has kept throughout the month-long trial. His daughter, Andy Budzyn-Moleski, started crying and mouthed the word "why?" Budzyn declined comment. Jurors also did not comment. Green, an unemployed steel work- er, died Nov. 5, 1992 after a con- frontation with Budzyn and his part- ner, Larry Nevers, in front of a crack house. In overturning his conviction in July, the state Supreme Court cited outside influences to the jury, including the viewing of "Malcolm X." The' film opens with videotape of the Rodney MDS to close after 18 years of business By Reilly Brennan Daily Staff Reporter A long-standing and complicated issue involving a product as simple as a coursepack, has now caused one business to shut its doors, closing the book on one man's lifelong vocation at the same time. Michigan Document Service will be closing at the end of March, near- ly 18 years after Jim Smith started the business. "This is going to hurt students a lot more than it will hurt me," Smith said. Smith said the business is closing as a result of new copyright laws, which forced Michigan Document Service to revamp its focus and, in the process, lose a majority of its profits. "I liked what we used to do," Smith said. "What we have to do now is completely different. I do not like what we have been doing in the past Hopefuls seek ties to Lansing By Gerard Cohen-Vrignaud Daily StaffReporter The state Senate Appropriations Committee's passage of a 3-percent funding increase for state universities and colleges Wednesday allowed some University administrators and students to breath a sigh of relief. But some candidates for Michigan Student Assembly said students should be active in i t f ( f f MSA state government to ensure the University's inter- ests are being served. -Marc In February, Gov State John Engler recom- politiCS mended a 1.5-per- cent increase in state funding to the University, which some administrators predict would hike student tuition. The appropriations bill will now move to the Senate floor for approval, and then to the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Higher Education, NATHAN RUfER/Uaily People walk by Michigan Document Service on South University Avenue yesterday. The store will close its doors at the end of March. selves. Smith said he never agreed with this process, but implemented it to follow- the law. with a lawsuit in 1992 from the American Association of Publishers, an organization of more than 250 I ,