One hundred nine years ofeditorialfreedom
NEWS: 76-DAILY
CLASSIFIED: 764-0557
wwwmichigandally.com
Monday
March 6,2000
* **kJ' s
0
dissed Bollingername
interim AD
inCantor
*lawsuit
By Jeannie Baumann
Daily Staff Reporter
The Washtenaw County Circuit
Court dismissed part of George
Cantor's lawsuit against the Univer-
sity that claimed it failed to provide
reasonably safe housing and ade-
quately warn students of any haz-
ardous conditions in Mary Markley
Residence Hall.
Cantor's daughter Courtney died
Oct. 16, 1998, after falling through
the window of her sixth-floor
Markley room.
George Cantor said he was disap-
pointed with the Feb. 23 ruling.
"The University has sent an aston-
ishing message to the students and
their parents that they have no legal
obligation to keep theiraresidents
safe," he said.
The lawsuit claimed that Markley
is a public building, thereby oblig-
ing the University to warn residents
of any unsafe conditions.
But Judge Melinda Morris grant-
ed the dismissal on grounds that
Cantor signed a lease, making her
By Jeannie Baumann
Daily Staff Reporter
University alum and Ann Arbor resident
Bill Martin will serve as the University's
interim athletic director as former athletic
director Tom Goss resigned at the end of Feb-
ruary, University President Lee Bollinger
announced Friday.
Martin is the president of First Martin
Corp., an Ann Arbor real estate development
company, and the founder and chairman of
the board for the Bank of Ann Arbor. He is
also on the Board of Directors for the U.S.
Olympic Committee and president of the
United States Sailing Foundation.
"Anything I can do to help the University of
Michigan, I'm happy to do it," Martin said. "I
learned a profession here, I met my wife
through here and I learned to sail here. It's just
payback."
"Quite frankly, I'm surprised (Bollinger)
asked me," Martin said.
Bollinger said Martin's financial and busi-
ness background combined with his experi-
ence in amateur sports makes him a perfect
candidate for this position.
"The department faces a number of issues
that really must be resolved," Bollinger said.
These problems include the athletic depart-
ment's financial deficit, issues of morale and
the investigation of Ed Martin - a former
Michigan booster. Ed Martin is undergoing a
federal investigation for his association with
the men's basketball team for allegedly violat-
ing two NCAA rules.
"The department continues to faceser-
ous financial issues," Bollinger said "At
the moment, it has been fairly clear since
the beginning of this calendar year that the
department may be in a significant
deficit."
"I am focusing on this day forward, 'ii not
dwelling on the past,' Bill Martin said.
See MARTIN, Page 2A
KIMITSU YOGACHI/Daily
New Interim Athletic Director Bill Martin stands inside of
Weidenbach Hall yesterday.
ONE MONTH AND COUNTING
*"Drinking
on campus
applies to
everybody, "
-- George Cantor,
Courtney Cantor's
father
room a pri-
vate resi-
dence.
University
spokes-
woman Julie
Peterson
declined to
comment on
specific
claims in
the lawsuit.
" W e
believe the
court made
the correct decision under the law.
While we are pleased with the
court's ruling, we remain sympathet-
ic to the grief of the Cantor family
and friends," Peterson said.
Cantor is still pursuing two other
claims in the lawsuit, including an
alleged breach of contract by the
University.
"We feel the University didn't
keep its promises," he said. "This is
not only for Courtney and my family
but for all the students who are
going to the University in the
future."
The contract specifically refers to
Courtney Cantor's lease and the
1998-1999 Community Living at
Michigan Handbook, which outlines
rules, regulations, policies and judi-
cial practices applicable to anybody
~who has signed a residence hall
lease.
The lawsuit claims that under this
contract, the University had an
obligation to provide, educate and
counsel residents about the dangers
of alcohol use.
"As far as we know, Courtney and
the members of her class received
no materials on the perils of drink-
ing,' Cantor said.
"They should have given more
information, more instructional
manuals," he added.
The lawsuit also claims that Uni-
versity staff knew of underage
drinking violations on campus and
failed to enforce violations of these
University policies as well as Michi-
gan state laws regarding underage
drinking.
"There needs to be some sort of
*egulatory mechanism in place. That
is the basis on which the lawsuit is
being conducted," Cantor said.
Members of the University Board of
Regents, who are named as the defen-
dants in the suit, denied all allegations
of a breach of contract.
While the regents acknowledged
that the Division of Student Affairs
has some responsibility with regard
o alcohol and drug use, University
attorneys claimed in their response
to the lawsuit that administrators
and staff already take an active role
in discouraging underage drinking
and enforcing rules about the use of
illegal substances.
Cantor said this nart of the lawsuit
Athletes
want to
shed labels
of racism
By Chris Grandstaff
Daily Sports Editor
Among the numerous Native
American artifacts scattered
around the meeting space of the
now not-so-secret society
Michigamua are a pair of Nike
running shoes belonging to Michi-
gan hockey captain Sean Peach.
Peach left his shoes up on the
seventh floor of the Michigan
Union before the Michigamua
meeting room was taken over in
protest by the Students of Color
Coalition claiming that Michiga-
mua is an elitist institution that
degrades Native Americans.
Peach would like to get his
shoes back, but a few more
important things need to be set-
tled first.
"We want to get those artifacts
back in the place where they
belong," Peach said. "But we also
want to get our side of the story
across, because we don't want to
be labeled at this University and
especially within the athletic com-
munity. We're embarrassed by
what happened, but we did not
know about those things being up
there."
Peach and other members of
Michigamua that represent Uni-
versity athletics want their voices
to be heard and their names to be
cleared of what they consider to be
an unfair label.
"When people label me .racist
that's detrimental," Peach said.
"That label will carry on to our
team. It's propagating hatred
toward our athletic community. By
them showing that side of the
story it's really harmful to the
leaders of each respective athletes
team."
See SHOES, Page 7A
UDNA LINNAMNE/ Daily
LSA senior Kevin Jones, an SCC member, takes a short nap between meetings on the seventh floor of
the Michigan Union. The SCC has occupied the top floor for 35 days.
s
Occupatiolnimat
lie"fSC ebr
Allocation,
policies to
be reviewed
By Jeannie Baumann
Daily Staff Reporter
In reaction to the Students of Color Coalition's protest
of Michigamua and its use of the Michigan Union tower,
University President Lee Bollinger announced plans Feb.
25 to form an administrative committee to look into the
current policies and practices of space allocations for stu-
dent groups.
"Space allocation is a serious and important question
for the University. Office facilities on our campus are at a
premium, and it is important for us to examine whether
space is currently being allocated in a manner that is fair
and equitable to all student organizations," Bollinger said
in an e-mail message that he sent to the entire University
community.
Interim Vice President for Student Affairs E. Royster
Harper will select three senior administrators from the 19
University schools and colleges, according to the e-mail.
These administrators will examine the way the Univer-
sity currently allocates space and make recommendations
before the end of the semester. After the committee sub-
mits its recommendations, the University will make a
decision about the allocation and function of any exclu-
sively used space, including the Union tower.
Bollinger said the committee plans to hold public
forums to discuss the issue with members of the Univer-
sity community.
But SCC spokesman Joe Reilly said Bollinger's
response was inadequate.
"It skirted around the real issues of racism and the
institutional support of racism and focused on office
space," Reilly said. "It's a crafty attempt to look like the
issues are being taken care of when they're not even
being addressed."
Bollinger said Saturday that if the University forced
Michigamua to change any of its practices, such an
implementation would infringe the group's First Amend-
ment right to free speech.
"I'm skeptical about the use of administrative power to
control student organizations with respect to their beliefs
and practices surrounding those beliefs," he said. "We, as
a University, have our values. One of them is respect for
others. We understand the importance of avoiding stereo-
types that marginalize or injure members of the comnu-
nity. But that value does not entitle us as a University to
forbid others for holding those beliefs."
Michigamua spokesman Nick Delgado said he was
See COMMITTEE, Page 7A
By Robert Gold
Daily Staff Reporter
Air mattresses and sleeping bags line the floor.
Movies like "Big Daddy," "Army of Darkness" and
"The Professional" are stacked high on the televi-
sion and VCR. A pot of cold coffee lays in the cor-
ner of the fourth floor of the Michigan Union
where 20 feet away, a lunch table is filled with fruit,
animal crackers, bread and hot cocoa.
A large sign that reads "Students of Color Coali-
tion" and "Stop the Racism UM" hangs above the
table of food.
The evidence clearly shows that SCC's takeover
of the Union's tower has reached the one-month
mark.
As the occupation reaches day 35, it has been
physically and mentally taxing on many of the pro-
testers.
Unlike at the beginning of the occupation, all
protesters do not stay in the space at once. During
spring break, the group set up a schedule where the
students took turns guarding the room for three to
four hours a day, Law student Colette Routel said.
SCC holds meetings three times per day for all
members to discuss strategy and to dole out duties.
Routel said when SCC members aren't in the
room, they have tasks to complete like calling char-
ity groups for donations and working on press
releases.
LSA senior Jujuan Buford, one of the original
students to occupy the space, said many people
have lost weight and fallen hopelessly behind in
class. Some students still attend their classes on an
infrequent basis, while others plan to drop or are
unsure, he said.
"You look at items and effigies that are very
much hurtful" Buford said. "'It's taken a psycho-
logical toll. It kind of bombards you."
Buford said that before the takeover he
planned to graduate in the summer, but now he
See SCC, Page 7A
Bollinger requests an
increase in U' budget
Making music
By Hanna LoPatin
Daily Staff Reporter
University President Lee Bollinger testified in
front of members of the Senate Appropriations
Committee on Feb. 25 at the University's Dearborn
campus to request an increase in the state appropri-
ations to be budgeted for the University for the Fis-
cal Year 2001.
University Vice President for Government Rela-
tions Cynthia Wilbanks said Bollinger noted that to
maintain the 2.8 percent tuition increase seen in this
year's budget the University would need a 5 percent
to 6 percent increase in state appropriations.
In his presentation of the budget in late January,
Gov. John Engler recommended a 2.5 percent
increase for all state schools
representative at the hearing along with Sen. Alma
Wheeler Smith (D-Ann Arbor) - said under
Engler's recommendation, the University would
receive between $9,400 and $9,500 per student.
"I'm going to put more money in the bill than
the governor did," Schwarz said. "It will be a sig-
nificant amount."
Schwarz said under his own recommendation,
the University would receive between $9,700 and
$9,800 per student.
Smith said she believes the Senate will be able to
provide at least a 7 percent increase.
"We are going to be able to do better than
(Bollinger) requested," she said.
But not all schools will see their requests met.
Smith said the committee has received requests for
increases as high as 8.8 nercent.
M