IC1bf Ieather 'oday: Sunny. High 45. Low 'omorrow: Showers. High 60 20. I. One hundred eight years of edit Ilfreedom Wednesday February 10, 1999 voklit "9a 4Y4 N 37'4'a - \ ~' - Y 1 C y t q v . a>R . 4 x . , . 4. v f Phi Delt leads gilty, 9 ait trial yNick Bunkly hily Staff Reporter One Phi Delta Theta fraternity mem- er pleaded guilty to at least one alco- iol-related misdemeanor charge and cut deal with prosecutors Friday, while ine others await their own court dates. Music sophomore Jordan Schmidt as one of 10 University students * enaw County prosecutors charged ast month with serving alcohol to ninors and allowing minors to consume Ilcohol in the fraternity's former house, ocated on Washtenaw Avenue, at an ctober party. LSA first-year student Courtney antor attended the party and was een drinking there hours before she ied after falling from her sixth-floor ary Markley esidence Hall *w. awyer could not e reached for omment last "ight and details f the plea bargain ere unavailable. At his pretrial earing Friday, Schmidt ocf idt entered a ul plea in front of Washtenaw ounty District Court Judge Elizabeth ines. The remaining nine fraternity embers will face their pretrial hear- ngs later this month. Attorney Joe Simon, who represents SA sophomores Jeremy Bier and dam Feldheim, said the plea means chmidt will face lessened charges at is sentencing in March. Five of the members, including o idt, Bier and Feldheim, were harged with additional counts of sing fraudulent identification to pur- hase alcohol for the party. Simon said he has not finalized efense plans for his clients and added hat prosecutors may not offer the same deal Schmidt got for each of his lient's individual cases. "Some of the charges are defensi 1e Some are less defensible,' Simon a Prosecutors have not charged the students with any crimes related to Cantor's death, but all charges stem from investigations into the party. Simon said he does not doubt the legitimacy of the charges but questions the publicity surrounding the case. "The charges, if the allegations are true, are proper and justifiable," Simon said. ,But, he added, "If Courtney Cantor h4't died, would these charges have been made? These kids, if they are guilty of anything, they are guilty of being college students." All Phi Delta Theta members have refused to make public comments since their national organization revoked the campus chapter's charter in November. Simon said he and the other la ers have advised their clients n o speak to the media. "If there's anything these kids want to say to campus, it's that they want to be escaped from blame" for Cantor's death, Simon said. Senators LSA junior Meredith Hochman, a member of the Undergraduate Women's Studies Association, speaks yesterday at a press conference on the steps of the Michigan Union. Hochman joined other students to express opposition to a state ballot proposal that aims to end race-based admissions at Michigan colleges and universities. Stuents oppose plan to eli-min1.ate prfereces hold closed trial debate WASHINGTON (AP) -The Senate Democrat had announced plans to vote shut its doors yesterday to debate its to convict Clinton or that any verdict on the impeachment of Republican had declared an intention to President Clinton, with the outcome so vote for acquittal. evident that one Republican said Democrats pressed their effort for a "bipartisan acquittal" was possible by formal Senate censure of Clinton, but week's end for the second president in many Republicans were opposed and history to be put on trial for his job. prospects seemed doubtful. "I think After a month and a day spent lis- censure has a tough row to hoe." said tening in silence to opposing legal Sen. John Chafee (R-R.I.), one of a few arguments, senators spent four hours GOP lawmakers to have announced in private deliberations in a Senate support. chamber cleared of House prosecu- Inside the shuttered Senate, the first tors, presidential lawyers and gallery to speak were Gorton and Sen. Edward spectators. Kennedy (D-Mass.). The Democrats The first senator to speak in the spoke by seniority. Republicans used a closed session, Sen. Slade Gorton (R- sign-up sheet. Wash.), told colleagues he would vote The Senate's ' senior Democrat, to remove Clinton because "it is clear Robert Byrd of West Virginia, who has that he obstructed justice." Gorton suggested he could vote either way, released his remarks following the ses- chose to wait rather than claim the right sion. He said he would vote to acquit to speak first among lawmakers in his Clinton on a second charge of perjury. own party. "I cannot will to my children and With his fate being debated in the grandchildren the proposition that a Senate, Clinton traveled to western president stands above the law and can Virginia for a private meeting with systematically obstruct justice simply House Democrats holding their annual because both his polls and the Dow retreat. Jones index are high," Gorton said in Rep. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), a the statement repeating his closed-door member of the House minority leader- remarks. ship, saij the president never overtly In all, 18 senators spoke, Republicans mentioned impeachment. But, "He alternating with Democrats, before law- said, 'Thank you for all the support makers adjourned until today. you've given me over time, going back "People are very respectful of one to 1993, and I'm committed to you in apother. It's a very dignified climate," your efforts to achieve a majority"' in said Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.), the elections in 2000. who had been among the leaders of a Under Senate rules, lawmakers may failed effort to open the proceedings deliberate for up to 25 hours, with 15 to the public.,Sen. Larry Craig (R- minutes allotted to each senator to Idaho) said there was relatively little speak. Majority Leader Trent Lott (R- give-and-take although occasionally. Miss.) preached the virtue of brevity, one senator would interrupt another to noting that Lincoln's Gettysburg ask: "Why do you believe that?" or address lasted but three minutes and "Where did you find that" in the trial John F. Kennedy's famed inaugural record? address scarcely seven. There was no indication that any See IMPEACH, Page 5 By Michael Grass Daily Staff Reporter Supporters of affirmative action gathered on the steps of the Michigan Union yesterday to announce their oppo- sition to a proposed state ballot initiative aiming to do away with race-based admissions at colleges and universi- ties in the state of Michigan. Activists from the University and other college cam- puses gathered to announce plans to protest a proposal Michigan voters may see during the November 2000 elec- tions. State Sen. David Jaye (R-Macomb) and Ward Connerly, a former University of California regent, have both announced their support of the state ballot proposal. "We want to organize the entire state," said Michigan Student Assembly Rackham Rep. Jessica Curtin, a mem- ber of the Defend Affirmative Action Party. Curtin announced that University students and others who oppose the initiative are planning to protest Jaye's Lansing office March 26. Representatives from different University and Michigan State University groups stated their opposition to the pro- posal at yesterday's press conference. "Michigan will not be another California," said Michigan State junior Rosa Salas, leader of MSU's Chicano/a-Latino/a student alliance. Connerly was a main proponent behind the state of California's Proposition 209, which eliminated the use of race in California in hiring and admissions practices. California voters passed Prop. 209 in November 1996. Many people at the press conference said they believe Michigan is a crucial battleground, where the future of affirmative action may be decided once and for all. The University is currently in the middle of two law- See INITIATIVE, Page 5 Provision factors drug convictions in financial aid Prisoners' expressions By Kelly O'Connor Daily Staff Reporter Qualifying for college federal aid may soon hinge on more than just financial need, as details are finalized in a law designed to keep students convicted of drug offens- es off the list of federal money recipients. The Higher Education Act of 1998, signed into law in October, includes a provision that suspends funding to student aid recipients if they have been convicted under federal or state law of possession or sale of a controlled substance. Possession offenses translate to a one-year suspension for first offense, two years for second offense and an indefinite suspension for a third offense. Sale offenses carry tougher penalties, with the first offense carrying a two-year funding suspension and the second offense enacting an automatic indefinite suspension. The provision allows suspended students to regain eli- gibility before the suspension period ends if they suc- cessfully complete a drug treatment program and test negative for drug use two times without prior notice. Since its passage, the higher education provision has spurned activism on campuses across the country, including three schools that have added the support of their student government to a reform resolution spon- sored by the Drug Reform Coordination Network in Washington, D.C. The resolution asks Congress to over- turn the drug-related regulations. DRCN associate Director Adam Smith said the group puts out a weekly online newsletter that covers drug pol- icy and reform issues. He said the DRCN is fighting the provision because- it is particularly unfair to specific groups of people. "It's clearly discriminatory on several levels," he said. Smith claims the resolution targets minorities, stating that even though black people make up only 12 percent of the U.S. population, they account for 55 percent of drug convictions. This could create a problem with diver- sity on campuses, Smith said. Smith said another problem with the provision is that students are unaware of its far-reaching effects. When See DRUG, Page 5 DARBY IFRIEDLIS/ Daily LSA senior Amy Twardowski examines one of the works of art at the Fourth Annual Exhibition of Art by Michigan Prisoners at the Rackham Galleries yesterday. OSCAR IN LOVE?. If all the world's a stage, 4 then with 13 nominations,. including Best Picture, "Shakespeare4 in Love" could be a layer at the 71st Annual Academy Awards on March 21. Inside: Full details on Oscar nominations including the Best Picture nominees "Saving Private Ryan," "The Task force to edit Greek housing alcohol policy By Yael Kohen Daily Staff Reporter Fourteen members of a Greek system task force plan to rewrite the alcohol policy that helps govern the activities of the campus' fraternities and sororities. Working from a progress report the task force com- pleted and presented to Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Association representatives two weeks ago, its members will make improvements to the pol- icy, targeting safety, event management, enforcement and education Jordan Scharg, IFC social chair and co-chair of the Social Responsibility Committee, said the progress report included recommendations the task force will use to draft a new Greek alcohol policy. The task force also olans to use feedback the report generated to sioned in September. "The task force was appointed for many different reasons," he said. Since the task force's formation, the Greek system has attracted attention for several alcohol-related inci- dents. In October, LSA first-year student Courtney Cantor died after she was seen drinking at the Phi Delta Theta fraternity house. Investigations into the party led to alcohol-related misdemeanor charges for 10 Phi Delta Theta members. Throughout last semester, Ann Arbor Police Department officers raided several fraternity houses on different occasions and issued alcohol violations to some of the fraternities. The Greek system's current alcohol policy states that all parties must be registered and have a guest list. Task force recommendations for new Greek alcohol policy: ® Limit the number of people on party guest lists. Interfraternity Council board member should visit parties to ensure all violations are reported. 8 Require Greek houses to increase educational programming offered on alcohol abuse. "Our goal Is to sof-regulate." - Jordan Scharg interfraternity Council social chair Reddy said restricting the number of people allowed in fraternity and sorority parties can eliminate overcrowding and reduce noise at parties. The guest list has "made it a lot safer for our mem- bers," Reddy said. Currently, SRC members patrol various Greek par- ties to ensure the Greek system's rules are not violat- ed. Fraternities and sororities can earn sanction points when they violate Greek system rules. i I I