One hundred nine years ofedtorzlfreedom
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Friday
February 25, 2000
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"NCAA rules Crawford ineligible for 8 games
Preliminary findings called
for the permanent suspension of
Crawford from college basketball
By David Den Herder
Daily Sports Editor
The NCAA yesterday suspended Jamal Crawford
for eight games because he tried to declare himself
eligible for the 1999 NBA Draft.
"I do not agree at all with what the NCAA has
decided here," University President Lee Bollinger
said. "I do, based upon what I know, think it is an
injustice."
The ruling comes on the heels of a six-game sus-
pension Crawford just finished serving for violating
O' NCAA amateurism bylaw.
Michigan officials and local media have known for
months that Crawford sent the letter to the NBA last
spring, but the NCAA only recently discovered this
development while investigating Crawford's relation-
ship with his non-legal guardian Barry Henthorn in
Seattle.
Michigan coach Brian Ellerbe said neither he nor.
University administrators viewed the letter as a
problem.
"It was null and void because it got there a day
late," Ellerbe said. "There was no reason to really
worry or investigate, so we thought."
The eight-game suspension, which was handed
down before last night's game against Purdue, result-
ed from an appeal of the NCAA's original decision
Wednesday, University General Counsel Marvin
Krislov said.
University spokeswoman Julie Peterson said the
NCAA's preliminary findings Wednesday called for
Crawford to be permanently ineligible.
But after the ruling yesterday, Bollinger said the
University has "exhausted the appeal process."
"We do not have any rights of appeal - at least
not as of yet," Bollinger said.
The eight-game suspension will likely reach into
next season, for which Crawford unequivocally
claimed he will return.
"No question," he said. "I'll be back."
Crawford has been facing punishment from the
NCAA since Feb. 1, when he was scratched'from
the Michigan State game lineup only minutes
before tipoff.
"The last two weeks have been unbelievable. I
can't sleep sometimes," Crawford said. He also
spoke of the uncertainty surrounding the past 48
hours, when his entire college career was in
jeopardy.
"It was very scary," Crawford said. "I was down
on my hands and knees."
According to NCAA bylaws, high school ath-
letes who declare themselves eligible for a pro-
fessional sport thereby forgo their NCAA
eligibility.
But college basketball players are allowed to put
See CRAWFORD, Page 7
Michigan guard Jamal Crawford, Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations
Bruce Madej and.Michigan men's basketball coach Brian Ellerbe discuss
Crawford's eligibility during halftime of last night's basketball game.
AC;LU,
MSA sue
state over
voting law
Dy Jeannie Baumann
Daily Staff Reporter
LANSING The Michigan Stu-
tent Assembly, along with five other
student governments from universities
across the state and the Michigan
chapter of the American Civil Liber-
ties Union, filed a lawsuit yesterday
contesting the constitutionality of Pub-
lic Act 118.
The act, which passed through the
state Legislature in the form of Senate
Bill 306 last summer, requires Michi-
gan citizens to maintain the same voter
*gistration address as the address on
their drivers licenses.
The lawsuit was filed against Michi-
gan Secretary of State Candice Miller
challenging the law, which Gov. John
Engler signed last summer.
"This law is an unconstitutional vio-
lation of the right to vote," ACLU
Michigan Executive Director Kary
Moss said.
The legislation particularly affects
llege students, many of whom keep
their driver's license address at their
parents' residence but register to vote
on campus.
"This means that they will have to
return to their family home on election
dates or vote by absentee ballot, which
is a much more cumbersome process,"
Moss said.
But Sen. Mike Rogers (R-Brighton),
who introduced the bill last February,
id in a written statement that the act
'oes not infringe on students' Tights to
vote.
"If a student can cut class and wait
in line overnight to buy tickets to see
the 'Back Street Boys,' they can cer-
tainly go to the Secretary of State's
office and change their voter registra-
tion," Rogers said.
Along with three other students,
MSA Vice President Andy
oulouris is an individual plaintiff
on the suit.
Coulouris, who has worked on cam-
pus voter registration drives since his
first year at the University, said he
thinks the act has deterred students
from registering.
"In 1997 and 1998, we registered
about 5,000 voters on campus," he
said.
"This year, because of all the
mors and fears, it is very, very diffi-
It to get students registered. We've
registered about 1,500 students. I can't
tell you how difficult it is to get stu-
dents registered," Coulouris said.
Mary Gurewitz, attorney for the
plaintiffs, said the law is inconsistent
with the National Voter Registration
Act. One clause states that changing a
driver's license address suffices for a
change in voter registration "unless the
gistrant states on the form that the
change of address is not for voter reg-
istration purposes."
The act also conflicts with the Equal
Protection Clause, she said, because it
impedes a student's ability to vote.
Gurewitz said she believes the legis-
ln+inn mca n nnlitirnl Irt Prncrirc
'Right
Now,
ri ght
here'
SCC members
storm lecture
on free speech
By Undsey Alpert
and Karolyn Kokko
Daily Staff Reporters
University President Lee Bollinger planned to give a
lecture on the First Amendment at the Alumni Center
yesterday, but instead members of the Students of
Color Coalition decided to exercise their freedom of
expression.
More than 75 faculty members, staff and students
turned out to hear Bollinger's views on "The Consti-
tution, Public Policy and New Technologies of Com-
munication."
But after the introduction was given, it was SCC
spokesman Joe Reilly who took
the podium, surrounded by a
about 30 members of SCC and We will
Students Organizing for Labor twai
and Economic Equality "0W
"We appreciate this forum as anyvonger."
an avenue for the utilization
and expression of our free - Joe Reilly
speech rights," Reilly told the Students of Color
audience.%
Bollinger remained in his Coalition spokesman
seat as Riley continued, "We
have the right to exist free of ethnic intimidation and
racial stereotyping at the University of Michigan."
Reilly then brought out a proposal for Bollinger to sign
that would make the tower an open-space area.
"By agreeing to make the Michigan Union tower a
public space, the University offers no threat of violating
the rights of Michigamua or the other two tower soci-
eties,' Reilly said. "We have waited for 19 days, we have
waited for 98 years, we will not wait any longer."
Bollinger said the group's interruption of his lecture
was inappropriate and that the standoff between the
senior honor society Michigamua and SCC, which has
occupied the seventh floor of the Union tower since Feb.
6, should be discussed at another time.
"That is between Michigamua and other parts of the
community," Bollinger said.
But Reilly insisted the issues be dealt-with "right now,
right here."
SCC members reiterated their demand. that Michiga-
See SCC, Page 7
Protesters crowd
Bollinger' s lawn
By Tiffany Maggard
Daily Staff Reporter
After occupying the Michigan
Union tower for 19 days and awaiting
administrative action to meet their
demands, the Students of Color Coali-
tion took their concerns to a place
University President Lee Bollinger
couldn't ignore - his front lawn.
Last night more than 60 students
crowded near the door of the Presi-
dent's Mansion, set up a grill and dec-
orated the bushes with balloons, all in
an attempt to talk one-on-one with him
about their disapproval of the honor
society Michigamua.
"Basically, we said in our petition
that if our demands are not assessed in
a reasonable amount of time, we'd take
alternative measures," SCC
spokesman Diego Bernal said.
An hour after SCC member
Monique Gifford began pleading with
a megaphone for the president to come
out onto the lawn and participate in the
barbecue, Bollinger casually walked
out of his home and into the crowd
with his dog Sierra.
See BARBECUE, Page 7
Ptos Oy UANNY v LIK/ Daily
TOP: University President Lee Bollinger debates with
Students of Color Coalition members In the Alumni Center
yesterday while communications studies department
Chairman Michael Traugott looks on.
ABOVE: LSA senior Neftara Clark and LSA junior Monique
Gifford use a bullhom in front of Bollinger's home last night.
Students rally
for National
Dayol~ of Action
By Tiffany Maggard
Daily Staff Reporter
Although the University prides itself for efforts to maintain
a campus with multicultural diversity, School of Social Work
student Claire Seryak said she doesn't think the campus com-
munity fully understands the meaning of multiculturalism.
"I am awake enough to know that many people can say and
write and pronounce the word multicultural and at the same
time, have no idea what that word means," Seryak said as she
addressed a crowd of more than 100 affirmative action sup-
porters in the Diag yesterday.
The firt Dav of Action to take miace at the I hiiversity was
Blue, Spartans face
off in battle for first
By Chris Grandstaff
Daily Sports Editor
ment bid. But a loss would mean the
two teams enter the final round of con-
ference play deadlocked at the top -
with the Spartans holding the tiebreak-
er advantage. The two teams both cur-
Ding ding. It's round three on the
DAVID ROCHKIND/Daily
LSA freshman David Lempert, Engineering freshman Sean
Hallady and LSA freshman Sergei Tsimberov cheer during the
Day of Action rally on the Diag yesterday.
sure on the University to increase minority enrollment. The
University defines underrepresented minorities as blacks,
Hispanics and Native Americans. "
BAMN member Shanta Driver who also serves as coordi-
ice between Michigan
State, and the stakes
are as high as they've
ever been. The two
teams are just two
points apart in the
CCHA standings
with three confer-
ence games remain-
ing on the schedule.
The Wolverines_
can deliver a knock- I
out punch with a win
TONIGHT
YosT ICE ARENA
Who: No.5 Michigan (22-7-3)
vs. Michigan State (22-9-2)
When:7:35 p.m. today at YostlIce Arena,
7:35 p.m. tomorrow at Joe Louis Arena
Latest: Tonight's conference game will go
along way toward determining this
season's CCHA regular season champion.
rently have 17
conference 'wins,
with the Wolverines'
slim two-point
advantage coming
on two more ties
than the Spartans.
And with all that's
riding on this game,
to say the two teams
will be "ready to
rumble" when they
and Michigan
nside: The battle for the CCHA
s