One hundred nine years of editoralfreedom I NEWS: 76-DAILY. CLASSIFIED: 764-0557 wwwmichigandaily.com Thursday March 9, 2000 GOre St 0 Vice president addresses undecided voters at a Wayne State University forum Yael Kohen Daily Staff Reporter DETROIT - Vice President Al Gore barely broke a sweat in the sweltering gymnasium as he met with undecided voters in Wayne State University's Matthei Athletic Center to gather support for Satur- day's Michigan Democratic caucus. While Gore invited the audience to the open meet- ing for questions on a range of issues - both for- and domestic policy - education seemed to be audience members' main concern, and Gore was prepared to answer. Gore was not hasty to answer each question, giv- ing his full attention to subjects including teacher amps for caucus quality and quantity, after-school programs and spe- cial education. Affirmative action was also on the audience's agenda. "There are many indications that would lead you to believe that we made a lot of progress in closing the gap between blacks and whites," Gore said, later adding that "speeding up the achievement of equal opportunity is in everybody's interest." Gore said the economic gap between races has not been eliminated and affirmative action is necessary to combat this gap. "The average African American family wealth is one-tenth the average white family wealth," Gore told the multiethnic and racially diverse crowd. "The number one priority in investing in the future is the need to bring revolutionary progress to our schools," Gore said. One audience member, Victor Marshall from the Citywide Student Council of Detroit, asked the vice president to pledge his commitment to education and public service. Gore readily accepted. As the audience asked other questions, Gore emphasized the need to increase the quality as well as the quantity of teachers in the classroom by giving monetary incentives and standard certification tests in his 21st Century Teacher Corps program. Gore also discussed his "school days" which includes plans to visit various schools to teach for a day and speak with parents to discover the internal problems of public schools. Local organizations were asked to invite undecid- ed voters to the open meeting yesterday so they could.ask Gore why they should vote for him in Sat- urday's caucus as well as the general election in November, when he will most likely face Republican Texas Gov. George W Bush. See GORE, Page 2A ------------------------------------------------ Inside: After failing to win any primaries, former senator Bill Bradley is expected to endorse Gore today. Page 7A Student protests Florida iitative By Lindsey Alpert k aly Staff Reporter LSA sophomore Erika Dowdell walked alongside thousands of affir- mative action supporters Tuesday in Tallahassee, Fla., protesting Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's proposal to end affir- mative action in the state. "I went down to Florida so that peo- ple in Michigan can be fighting as well," said Dowdell, a Michigan Stu- dent Assembly representative. *The crowd drew adults and students alike on the hot March day to hear Jesse Jackson, Martin Luther King III and other speakers including Shanta Driver, a national coordinator with the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action By Any Means Necessary. "We know that we can win this r fight because we stand on the truth," Driver told the crowd. "Our opponents say that affirmative action is about a handout. to black people, to brown Dowdell people, to women. We say that's a lie. It's about the fight for equality." Police and political officials in Flori- d's capital city estimated that 10,000 people participated in the march, but many participants insist there were many more people. "There were way more than 10,000 people," Dowdell said. "I'd say there were about 20,000 to 30,000." The march lasted for more than six hours and Tallahassee police reported that several members of the crowd *re treated for heat related illnesses. But the heat didn't stop the partici- pants as they cheered on the speakers. "The crowd was tremendously receptive," Driver said. "The crowd was looking for a political step for- ward." Affirmative action advocates hope to take that step, as there has been talk of a national march on Washington. P.C. The gathering in Florida was the first time that so many people got ether on a national level. "It really is time to plan a march on Washington in defense of affirmative action," Driver said. "We've been building momentum and in the next few months we've got to explore mak- ing it happen." The march did not draw many pro- testers, but at one point an airplane few over the crowd with a banner in "port of the governor reading "God. 1ess you Jeb." "I was up on the podium and no one on the podium took note" of the ban- ner, Driver said. "So I don't think it had any effect." "This is the beginning of a new civil ..:l~c nvv n th-+at rn w in th fvht MAKING SACRIFICES' LOUIS IBROWN/Daily Vice President Al Gore speaks to undecided voters during a forum at Wayne State University in Detroit yesterday. Police to start ticketing seat belt violations By Hanna LoPatin Daily Staff Reporter The well-known phrase "Buckle- Up" will have new meaning for Michigan drivers and passengers as new legislation that enables police officers to stop cars when those inside aren't wearing their seat belts goes into effect tomorrow. Currently anyone who doesn't wear a seat belt can be ticketed only after being pulled over for defective equipment or traffic vio- lations, but under the new law, vio- tors satisfied with the current law voted against it. "There was a feeling by some legislators that some people out there didn't want to be forced to wear a seat belt," Bullard said. Bullard cited California as an example that changing Michigan's law will induce people to put on the belt. After upgrading the offense to primary, California reported 200,000 fewer seat belt tickets, he said. Michigan State Police Trooper Colleen Wesley said the law applies KIMITSU YOGACHI/Daily Cheryl Kassler carries her daughter, Lysette, while a church minister from St. Mary's Student Parish marks her forehead with ashes yesterday. Ash* Wednesday mark the beginn7"ing of0Lentseason lators of Michigan's seat belt law can be pulled over and ticketed by solely" for not buckling up. By changing its seat belt law, Michigan follows the lead of 17 states and the District of Columbia, Michi- gan Public Infor- mation Specialist said. Other states "It's a significant amount of lives saved, a significant amount of money saved." to all drivers and front seat passen- gers, but back- seat passengers who are more than 16-years-old are not required by Michigan law to wear a seat belt. Violators can be ticketed for - Sen. B ill Bullard I R-Milford $25, she said. But Wesley said she still Anne Readette with primary By Elizabeth Kassab Daily Staff Reporter Every year the wild indulgence of Mardi Gras and Paczki Day lead to Ash Wednesday and the Christian season of Lent, characterized by fasting and sacri- fice. Ash Wednesday, which was celebrated yesterday, is the beginning of Lent. This period of 40 days and six Sun- days proceeds the holiday of Easter. Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection of Christ from the.dead and is a reminder that death is not the end- all, said Michael-Ann Dunbar, associate pastor of the First Congressional Church. Christians celebrate Ash Wednesday, Lent and Easter, but different branches of the faith have varying traditions. Dunbar said the First Congressional Church doesn't use ash as a symbol of the beginning of Lent. A block away, St. Mary's Student Parish was filled past capacity with people marked with crosses of ash on their fore- heads. LSA sophomore Tim Mooney explained that ashes serve as a reminder of the course of life. From "ashes you come, (to) ashes you will return," Mooney said. Ashes are also "a sign that recognizes what you believe in," LSA sophomore Mary Godwin said. The mark of ashes on the forehead is a symbol of humility, said LSA junior Laurie Burkitt, a member of the First Methodist Church. In the Catholic church, ashes are made from.last year's paims, St. Mary's Father Tom Firestone said. See LENT, Page 2A enforcement laws have reported a 10 percent to 15 percent increase in the use of seat belts, she said. Michigan has a 70 percent compli- ance rate based on the current law, which makes refusal to wear a seat belt a secondary offense. "The whole goal is to increase safety belt use so that we can save lives," Readette said. Sen. Bill Bullard (R-Milford), who sponsored the bill, said, "It's a significant amount of lives saved, a significant amount of money saved." The proposal passed through the Legislature with little opposition, Bullard said, although several sena- hopes that the law will encourage all passengers to buckle up. "We know that people who don't wear seat belts are more likely to be hurt," she said. Wesley said some violators may not receive a fine, but merely a warning. "The purpose of the bill is not to have police write more tickets, the purpose of the bill is to save lives," Bullard said. State officials held press confer- ences yesterday in Lansing, Grand Rapids and Detroit "to remind peo- ple the new law takes effect on Fri- day," Readette said. Drivers of children who are not sitting in proper child-restraint seats may be fined $10, Wesley said. Students celebrate Mahashivratri By Caitlin Nish Daily Staff Reporter Students dressed in apparel ranging from traditional punjabi dresses to Tommy Hil- figer jeans gathered in the Michigan League's Kesseler Room last night to cele- brate the Hindu holiday of Mahashivratri. The Mahashivratri puja service, spon- sored by the Hindu Students Council, attracted more than 60 students who were led in prayer by Vidya Kumar, a second- year medical student. "Mahashivratri is my favorite holiday because, to me, Mahashivratri is sort of the culmination of Hinduism," Kumar said. "This is because the whole idea of the linon q allh cine renresents the idea of Mahashivratri is a Hindu holiday that recognizes Lord Shiva, who is worshiped as the destroyer of demons and evil. According to an HSC pamphlet, Mahashivratri is celebrated on the 14th day of the dark half of Magh, a month on the Hindu lunar calendar. Mahashivratri translates to "The great night of Shiva" and recognizes Lord Shiva, who along with Bramha and Vishnu com- pletes the triumvirate of Hinduism. Shiva is worshiped as the destroyer of demons and evil while Bramha-is known as Wadehra, who coordinated the service. Following the bhajan was the puja and bathing of Lord Shiva. The Mahashivratri puja involves each attendee pouring milk, honey, yogurt or water on the idol of Lord Shiva. Along with the bath, the idol is then anointed with sandalwood paste. This included the Shiva Ashtottara Shatana- mavali. in which flowers were taken from 7 I