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jCLASSIFIED: 764-0557
wwwmichigandaily.com
Tuesday
October 17, 2000
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wCopanies
rally for
'U'
in lawsuits
By Asa Koivu
Daily StaffReporter
Twenty well-known corporations have filed a
nt amicus brief in support of the University's
position in the two pending lawsuits challeng-
ing Law School and undergraduate admissions
processes.
The brief, filed yesterday afternoon in the
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of
Michigan, is supported by corporations such as
Microsoft, Intel, Steelcase, Inc., Bank One
Corp., Johnson & John-
son, Kellogg Company,
General Mills, Inc., The
Procter & Gamble Com-,
pany and Texaco, Inc. In '
July, General Motors
Corp. became the first
major company to file such a brief in support
of race as a factor in University admissions.
An amicus brief, also known as a "friend of
the court" brief, allows a third party to write in
and indicate their support of a particular posi-
tion.
Liz Barry, University deputy general coun-
sel, said it is common to have amicus briefs
filed in the appeals process.
"However, it is unusual to have amicus briefs
at this stage,' Barry said. "But that's a reflection
of how important this issue is to these parties."
According to the brief, the corporations said
they feel the University would be less diverse
without affirmative action.
"For these students to realize their potential
as leaders, it is essential that they be educated
in an environment where they are exposed to
diverse ideas, perspectives, and interactions,"
the brief states.
Barry said the amicus brief tells the court the
importance of diversity in higher education and
business.
"The brief makes a direct connection
between being an educated individual in a
diverse environment and being successful in
the workplace," Barry said.
Other entities have also filed amicus briefs
since the lawsuits were filed in 1997, including
the U.S. Department of Justice, the State of
Ohio and the American Council on Education.
Barry said she believes General Motors'
support sparked the latest round of briefs.
University President Lee Bollinger said in a
written statement that the support of large cor-
porations confirms the effectiveness of the Uni-
versity's admission policies.
"I'm gratified by the overwhelming support
shown by the multinational corporations that
have filed an amicus brief in defense of the
See BRIEF Page 2
[ment of
to discuss
violence 7
in Israel *
By Lou e Moizlish
For the Daily
Enrol
minorities
may increase
As soon as Cantor Annie Rose
began singing the "Sings of Peace"
conversations promptly ended and
nearly the whole building joined in
the singing. Although the gatherers
occasionally laughed and smiled,
eir faces showed a deep concerned
for the current tension in Israel.
About 200 gathered tonight at Con-
gregation Beth Israel to make "a
prayer for peace for all peoples in the
land of Israel;' according to their flier.
"We wanted to bring Jewish people
together to stand in solidarity with the
people of Israel and the State of Israel
... without pointing fingers," said Jef-
frey Levin, the executive director of
he Jewish Federation of Washtenaw
ounty. Levin said the meeting met
his expectations.
Discussions occurred last night as
world leaders met in Egypt to for an
emergency summit meeting regarding
the violence. As of early this morning,
no headway had been made.
Hillary Murt, president of the Jew-
ish Federation, followed the cantor
and summed up the feelings
*xpressed throughout the night,
By Lisa Koivu
Daily Staff Reporter
After a decrease last year in the num-
ber of under-represented minorities
admitted and enrolled at
the University, this year's M n
preliminary numbers OnlftI
indicate there could be at198
least a 3 percent increase
in enrolled students. 13 8 percer
This year, the prelimi- a p 9
nary numbers show the -1.8 percei
under-represented minori- 20"(P 4
ties - African American, 14.8 percer
Native American and
Hispanic students - at 14.8 percent.
The University derived this number
using enrollment deposits paid as of
Aug.21.
Last year under-represented minori-
ties comprised 11.8 percent of the fresh-
man student body, a decrease from the
1998 number- 13.8 percent.
University Provost Nancy Cantor
said she is happy about the increase,
although the numbers are not final.
"We always strive to enroll a diverse
student body, so we
ity would be pleased to see
hent an increase in enrollment
among first-year students
who are underrepresented
minorities;' Cantor said in
a written statement.
"However, these data are
preliminary and do not
represent the final enroll-
ment numbers, so it's too
soon to draw firm conclusions."
Last year's numbers coincided with
an increase in both admissions to and
enrollment in the University. In 1999,
5,789 students were enrolled, compared
to the 5,429 students in 1998 and 5,738
See ADMISSIONS, Page 2
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Nearly 200 gather last night at Ann Arbor's Congregation Beth Israel to mourn the loss of the two Israeli soldiers killed
on Friday.
"We don't gather here to cast
blame but to express our sorrow for
the senseless loss of life," she said.
Rabbi Roderic Glogower expressed
a different kind of message. Glogower,
an Ann Arbor Orthodox Minyan
rabbisaid,"All Israelis, hawk or dove,
are in danger ... We must not stand
idly by as our brothers bleed."
Rackham student Amer Zhar, who
was not at the event, said he thinks
many Jewish students are not
informed on what is going on in the
Middle East and have an automatic
"affinity" for Israel.
He said he believes many liberal
and secular Jewish students havd come
out in opposition to Israel's actions.
against the Palestinians. "It's not an
easy truth to handle;' Zhar said.
Aharon Klieman, a visiting profes-
sor from Tel Aviv University, said, "I
must believe that the peace process
will resume."
But he did disagree to some extent
with the way the Middle East emer-
gency summit is being conducted.
Referring to President Clinton's
statement that, "We have got to move
See ISRAEL page 7
Violent campus
crimes drop
7in Final debate tonight
By Hanna LoPatin
Daily Staff Reporter
the minds of the American people won those first
two debates,; Bush's campaign spokesman Ken
Lisaius said.
Tonight at 9 p.m. presidential But the Gallul
candidates Vice President Al C A Mf P A I G N ington Post-AB+
Gore and Texas Gov. George W._New York Time
Bush will meet for their third following the fi
and final debate in a town hall Gore ahead. Bu
meeting in St. Louis at Wash- ______________Gallup poll sho
ington University. a small margin.
With Bush moving ahead in The poll resi
the polls after each of the last two debates, his related to his ability to talk
campaign is optimistic about tonight's show- Lisaius said.
down. The debate will take place in
"If you look at the numbers, he very clearly in Set
Third par ties
af r
aim orres e
By David Enders
Daily Staff Reporter
The number of violent crimes on
campus dropped last year while inci-
dents of alcohol violations and theft
increased, according to statistics from
the University Department of Public
Safety.
"Major crimes, especially major
crimes against persons, went down,"
DPS spokeswoman Diane Brown said.
Alcohol-related violations and larce-
nies on campus increased from 451 to
673 between 1998 and 1999. Brown
said 225 of those violations occurred
during the six football games at Michi-
gan Stadium last season.
Although the numbers do not indicate
any dramatic changes, how and where
the University reported them has. been
modified.
Under a law that took effect in June,
colleges and universities across the
country are required to report the num-
ber of crimes on campus and in sur-
rounding cities by Oct. 24 on the U.S.
Department of Education's Website.
"Typically we only ask (the Ann
Arbor Police Department) for crimes
that had been reported adjacent to cam-
pus or on public areas such as streets
and sidewalks. This year, the University
will be providing all the statistics from
(all of) Ann Arbor,"Brown said.
"Typically we only ask (the Ann
Arbor Police Department) for crimes
See CRIME, Page 7
Cookie' for a cause
... ..=.z
Prof. Gilbert Lee of the University's Flint campus speaks on
racial and gender bias yesterday at the School of Education.
'102' addresses
By Jacquelyn Nixon
Daily StaffReporter
Race and standardized testing dominated conversation
terday afternoon Affirmative Action 102 lecture, part of
the 10-day educational series.
The lecture titled "Racial and Gender Bias, the Social
Construction of Race and Fallacy of Standardized Tests,"
featured Associate Health Care Prof. Gilbert Gee of the
University's Flint campus.
David White, director of testing for the public, who
By Yael Kohen
Daily StaffReporter
Third parties are unlikely to win a
major election, but that does not mean
they are never a major influence in
American two-party system.
And once in a-
while -for exam- part**ies
plc Minnesota Gov. ' apartleS
Jesse Ventura - a - Part one
third-party candi- in a four-part series
date does manage to turn the tables on
the democrats and Republicans.
"I think the third parties are very
stimulating factors in American poli-
tics," political science said Prof. Emer-
itus Samuel Eldersveld, an expert on
the American political party system.
'T1.i---------. ~ntc~ svrnn nt
Each has a candidate running on the
presidential ticket except the Reform
Party's Pat Buchanan, who was denied
access to the Michigan ballot.
"Parties spring up very naturally ...
as soon as you have democracy you
have a political party," political science
Prof. Chris Achen said. "The two par-
ties try to maintain a kind of monopoly."
Although the American system is
not conducive for more than two major
parties, Eldersveld said, that does not
take away from their influence on the
political system.
"They do force the major parties to
think and rethink their positions,"
Eldersveld said.
The nation's voting system, based
on plurality rules -- meaning a winner
I I V