One hundred nine years ofediton a/freedom NEWS: 76-DAILY CLASSIFIED: 764-0557 wwwmichigandaily.com Thursday February 3, 2000 .:.. rH< n ,N - e..,N ,Moo'~~ N MiorY .,. .., S.::t.., cv:FZ.\. ti+,......n;?:"C' i\. G.. { @.;i:t .ti , .\ s, :. 1 :... . . .. .. ..... ..... < "', . .: .^. . ...+. v.. ,,., , +: , ,' , 41 'v " :,u,. ..w si... .: \Ylt .:., i\ ':qr.. ' < .... v. \ ...,+k...N l v+ ,. , w .,. ,, , : . <.., ,.. E.,,A, , . ...,. .... }~ ,. , , : ,,v. w ,a , icats increase at Uc B~y Robert Gold Daily Staf Reporter The University of California ysem whi 'h was faced a decreasing trend in minority appli ions and enrollment since state v oters over- urned the use of affirmative action as a factor in idmissions in 1996, released information last Keek suggesting the tide may be turning. The percentage of black and Hispanic fresh- nan applicants from California for the Fall 2000 emester increased more than all other ethnic groups. Applications from Hispanic freshmen ose 6.3 percent from the previous year's applica- lion pool, from 7,349 students to 7,814 students. Wisconsin R chancellor declines to .oin WRC By Jeannie Baumann' and Jen Fish )a ly Staff Reporters The University of Wisconsin at Madison, which could have been the first large licensing school to join *he student developed Worker Rights Consortium anti-sweatshop code, has decided not to join the WRC and continue its affiliation with the Fair Labor Association. The decision came last week from Madison Chancellor David Ward, after preliminary votes from an advi- sory sweatshop task force recom- mended five to four for Wisconsin to endorse the WRC. A similar committee at the Uni- ersity of Michigan is currently studying the possible adoption of the WRC. Ward could not be reached for comment, but in a written statement said he made the decision to not join- the WRC based on feedback he received from members of the task force. student applications rose 3.6 percent m 2 udents 1c 714 sudents erall, the ystem received 54. 46fresh- n'n pplations from students in California. Asian American applications increased slight- ly, but American Indians, whites and other racial groups saw a slight decrease in numbers. UC Regents voted in 1995 to ban racial pref- erences in admissions. UC Executive Director of University Outreach and Student Affairs Margaret Heisel said several efforts were made by the system following the passage of a pro- posal to eliminate racial preferences in admissions to "make sure students know they are welcome." Heisel added that while the university sys- tem canno targcet students by race, it has increased recruitment and information efforts in lower income areas. "We hope it will make college a much more pervasive opportunity overall," Heisel said. Jack Sutton, executive officer for the Universi- ty of California at Los Angeles Outreach Steer- ing Committee, said since the 1995 decision by the regents to ban affirmative action, the eight UC campuses have intensified their relationship with state high schools and middle schools. University officials have advised high schools on how to prepare students for higher education. According to enrollment information from Fall 1999, the number of students from all eth- nic groups except American Indians increased from the previous academic year. The numbers of white students increased by 17 percent, Asian Americans by 9.3 percent, Hispanics by 9 percent and black students by 4.6 percent. American Indians experienced a drop in enrollment from 256 students to 245. UC Regent William Bagley said the rise in minority applicants is misleading. "We are finding the competent people are being recruited and refuse to enroll ... because (they) feel not as welcome here," Bagley said. Bagley announced last week that he is work- ing on a proposal to reverse the regents' ban on affirmative action. The ban prohibits the Universty from using racial information during the application process. California residents in 1996 passed Proposi- tion 209, which made it illegal statewide for uni- versities to use race as an admissions factor. While this state law would limit the practical application of his proposal, Bagley said it would improve the University's image. UC Regent Ward Connerly said Bagley's claim that minority candidates feel unwelcome at the University is not supported by the recent rise in minority applications. See APPLICANTS, Page 2A unning man ACLU, MSA print house party guide By Caitlin Nish Daily Staff Reporter When hosting their next party, the Univer- sity chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is hoping students don't forget to play. by the book. The House Party Handbook, created and produced by the ACLU, enumerates and clar- ifies Michigan laws concerning house parties and an individual's rights to have a party without police interference. The book, which is available at Angell Hall pressing need for a handbook so students can be on an equal footing so they know their rights," Rafi said. The seven-page handbook includes sec- tions specifically dedicated to serving alco- hol and checking identifications. While the handbook urges students to com- ply with the laws, it helps to clarify the regu- lations of serving alcohol. The book suggests that students buy the alcohol themselves and provide it free of charge to guests of legal age. Although selling alcohol is illegal, the book states that students are legally allowed to ask for donations. LSA senior' Justin er Rost said the book ndbook suggests would help to inform e tins to rotect students of their liber- and at the Central Infor- mation Center located in the Michigan Union, can also be accessed at the ACLU's Website. The ACLU with the help of the Michigan Stu- dent Assembly's Stu- dents' Rights Commission and Student Legal Services created the handbook, which includes chapters on how to keep the police away; from parties, how to act when the police try to enter a party, how to legally serve alcohol and Party Plann The House Party Ha students follow then their legal rights while having a good time. * Buy alcohol and provide it free of charge for guests of legal drinking age. Collect donations to cover costs since selling alcohol is illegal.- * Check IDs of guests before providing them alcohol. ties. "It's nice to know what rights you have," Rost said. "I'm not sure of all my rights so (the handbook) would be useful." The section on check- ing IDs warns students to check guests IDs either at the door or at the place where alcohol is served, before provid- the handbook is - number know what the law is and Each committee member submit- *ed a position statement and met with Ward before he announced his decision. "As we continue to search for the most productive way to solve this human rights dilemma, it is my hope that concerned students will remain committed to open dialogue and working together," he said. Three students at Wisconsin on the task force resigned last Monday as a result of Ward's announcement. * "I feel like the principle of shared governance on our campus has been made a mockery," said Wisconsin student Molly McGrath, a task force member. W sconsin student David Alvara- do, who was the student co-chairman of tie task force, said it was inevitable that Wisconsin would not join the WRC. "It makes us feel like he was ppeasing us all along, never intend- ing on listening to what we had to say," he said. But Wisconsin Prof. Bill Steffen- haget,, who voted against signing the WRC in the preliminary vote, said the task force could end up support- ing it in the future. "It was pretty much split down the middre," he said. "One member of the committee, who originally voted *r the WRC, stated they could see e chancellor's point of view. I'm not convinced it would have been five to four that day." John Chamberlin, associate dean of tho University of Michigan's School of Public Policy and chairs the U iversity Advisory Committee on Labor Standards and Human Rights, said the committee will trongly influence -- but not neces- rily determine -- University Presi- dent Lee Bollinger's final decision on the policy. "We won't be calling the shots, nor should we be calling the shots," he said. Alvarado said he hopes the Uni- how to protect individual rights. Co-creator Abe Rafi said the idea for the handbook was developed by a student ACLU group at the University of Kansas. Rafi said he thought the idea would benefit students at the University. "I talked to Student Legal Services who handles these cases on a continual basis and they agree that you can't have a party in Ann Arbor if you're a student because the Ann Arbor Police Department actually has a party patrol that goes around to break up parties," Rafi said. "Because of this we figured there is a ing them alcohol. "The way I view one, it lets people DANA LINNANE/Daily LSA senior Brett Costello runs on the treadmill in the intermural Building located on East Hoover Ave. Costello visits the IM Building everyday to exercise. Debate focuses on Paetinian refuges By Josie Gingrich Daily ,Sall Reporter Emotions ran high at last night's meeting of the Palestine Catastrophe Committee, as a group of students and faculty discussed issues pertaining to Palestinian refugees in Israel and surrounding Arab countries. "These people's sufferings can not be sold or exchanged for anything," said Sawsan Abdul- rahim, a Public Health graduate student and one of the organizers of the event. "The refugees can not be ignored." The discussion also served as a mass meeting for students interested in the prob- lem of Palestinian refugees. The purpose is to "discuss current issues perti- nent to political issues in Palestine and Israel," Abdulrahim said. "We'd like to have more Arab and non-Arab students come to meetings and discuss issues and get more involvement" Abdulrahim presented a slide show of her father's village in what is now' Israel. She also showed pictures taken in the 1940s by the Israeli press of newly arrived Jewish immigrants. See PALESTINE, Page 7A strongly advises them not to break it. Secondly, it seeks to educate people about their consti- tutional rights and how to invoke those rights," said Nick Roumel, senior attorney for Student Legal Services who contributed to the handbook. The handbook also includes two signs for students to hang on the door of their house stating that police officials without warrants or evidence of emergency situations are not See HANDBOOK, Page 2A e e Report, fatal Seton, Hall fireC delib e,-rate, SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. (AP) - Officials refused to comment yester- day on a published report that a deadly dormitory fire at Seton Hall University was deliberately set. The Star-Ledger of Newark quoted aks unidentified law enforcement sources in a report yesterday saying that inves- tigators believed the fire was not an accident and that at least four suspects had been identified. Three 18-year-old students died in the Jan. 19 blaze. No charges have been filed. Seton Hall spokeswoman Lisa Grid- er referred all questions about the d report to the Essex County prosecu- tor's office. Executive Assistant Prose- cutor Charlotte Smith said her office would not comment on it. menn The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco affairs and Firearms has not reached a conclu- sion about the fire's cause. Special Agent Joseph Green said yesterday. DAVID KATZ Public Health graduate student Sawsan Abdulrahirn spec at the Palestine Catastrophe Committee panel last night with Sallh Mahameed, an Engineering graduate student. Co leagues remember former Prof. Ne By Jodie Kaufman Daily StaffReporter Human genetics and internal medicine Prof. emeri- tus James Neel died in his Ann Arbor home Tuesday from prostate cancer. Neel worked at the University for 39 years, joining the faculty in 1946 as an assistant geneticist i the vertebrate Biology Lab. Ii-rom the ime of his arrival in the '40s,'he was "He established the first and foremost distinguishe department of human genetics in the country." - Gil O Executive Vice President for Medical A versity of Texas, said Neel's contributions to the field Michigan," Schull said. 4