One hundred ten years ofedtoriilfreedom
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Wedneday
October 25, 2000
'There is n whtevictim
Study claims admissions process fair to all
By Jen Fish
Daily Staff Reporter
4DETROIT -- According to a study commis-
sioned by the intervening defendants in the law-
suit challenging the use of
race as a factor in admis-
sion in the College of Liter-
ature, Science and the Arts, 0N
the University's admissions *
processes are constitution-
ally sound.
Godfrey Dillard, lead
unsel for the intervening defendants, presented the
Wort yesterday at a forum hosted by Citizens for
Affirmative Action's Preservation at the Detroit Ath-
letic Club.
CAAP, a coalition of civil rights and civil liberties
organizations, was one of the parties to successfully
file as intervenors in the case.
Last night's forum was an attempt to publicize the
intervenors' case, particularly to the black legal com-
munity, which has an especially personal interest in
the case.
White defendant Jennifer Gratz alleges she was
not admitted to the University while less-qualified
minority students were as a result of affirmative
action policies.
The Washington, D.C.-based Center for Individual
Rights sued the University on behalf of Gratz in
1997. A nearly identical suit has been filed against
the University's Law School.
The report, conducted by Jacob Silver and James
Randolph, both formerly of the Michigan Depart-
ment of Education, examined the 1995 applicant
pool that included Gratz's application.
"The data indicate that other, non-race factors
probably had a far greater influence on Gratz's non-
admission than race," the study said.
According to the study, 725 black applicants
with lower test scores and grade point averages
than Gratz's 25 ACT score and 3.8 GPA were
admitted, but 1,243 whites with lower scores also
were admitted.
Furthermore, 144 black students with better scores
were admitted, while 1,049 white applicants with
better scores were accepted.
See STUDY, Page 7
Godfrey Dillard, lead counsel for the Intervening defendants In one of the admissions
lawsuits facing the University, speaks at the Detroit Athletic Club yesterday.
Assembly
doles out
*ervice
funding
By Jane Krull
Daily Staff Reporter
Student General Counsel Alok
*rawal once again chaired the Michi-
gan Student Assembly weekly meeting
last night instead of MSA President
Hideki Tsutsumi.
Last night's meeting was held at
Bursley Residence Hall on North
Campus as part of MSA's Communi-
cations Committee Outreach Program.
"We are trying to make MSA more
accessible for the students," Commu-
nications Committee Chair Matt Nolan
Whe main topic on the floor was the
approval of Community Service Com-
mission recommendations to allocate
$45,160 to student groups for various
projects.
During constituents' time, students
representing six organizations
appealed to MSA for more funding.
Some organizations received no
funding from CSC because their repre-
*tatives failed to attend a required
interview.
"We did not go to the interview
because the application said the inter-
view was optional," Blood Drives
United co-Chair Sean Meyers said
Blood Drives United members said
they need the CSC funding as their
primary source of money to advertise
their annual Blood Battle against Ohio
State that has the potential to save
10,200 lives.
OSC Chair Jon Marcus said "inter-
view optional" was or the original
application, but later the commission
decided that the interviews were to be
mandatory.
"We e-mailed every single group at
least four times saying that interviews
were essential and important," Marcus
said.
After multiple attempts of trying
mend the recommendations, they
p ssed 30-0 with only one amend-
ment. MSA took $130 from Alterna-
tive Weekends-Project Serve and
$ 170 from Alternative Spring
Break-Project Serve, giving the
money to the Arab-American Anti-
Discrimination Committee for
Harus Elementary Outreach Pro-
gram - which was originally was
slated for no funding because of a
failure to attend the CSC interview.
"We missed the interview because
t events of the time was our main
focus," ADC Founder Amer Zahr
said.
Also at the meeting, the assembly
unanimously passed a resolution in
support of reinstating the organization-
al studies program, which was recently
suspended by LSA Dean Shirley Neu-
man.
similar resolution was passed last
k by LSA Student Government.
Finally, a resolution that proposed
that all MSA members "dress in fun
and crazy costumes" at the Oct. 31
MSA meeting or be sentenced to wear
a sign that proclaims "I HATE
FIN!!!" or "I HATE MSA!!!" for the
Plan to ask
for drinking
alternatives
By Johanna Wetmore
Daily Staff Reporter
Officials from the Office of New Student Programs plan
to present a proposal to E. Royster Harper, interim vice
president of student affairs, asking for more systematic pro-
gramming to provide alternatives to underage drinking.
The proposal, which ONSP Director J. Ann Hower said
will be delivered to Harper on Friday, is a release of the
findings of the Student Program Subcommittee - a branch
of Harper's Alcohol and other Drugs Committee.
The subcommittee originated from a report by the Binge
Drinking Task Force recommending a "highly visible slate
of regular weekend social programming to provide a clear
alternative to drinking," Hower said.
"There could be a lot more
University programming "Thre could
between 10 and 2 on week-
ends," Hower said, referring to be a lot more
that time for improvement in
the proposal and when under- University
aged drinking frequently
occurs. programming
"Exery activity sponsored
by the University is inherently between 10
alcohol-free. There's always aa d2 o
lot happening, but it's not con-
sistent. It could be enhanced," yweeken"
Hower added.
Hower said the subcommit- - J. Ann Hower
tee conducted a "quick and Office of New Student
dirty" survey last spring of 50
students to determine what Programs director
students did during weekends,
how they learned about social activities and what they
thought about on-campus programming.
Seventy percent of those surveyed "indicated that they
would attend on-campus late night weekend programming
if it was offered," according to the proposal.
The proposal suggests more diverse and consistent alter-
natives "that would appeal to a large section of students"
but is specifically geared toward freshmen and sophomores.
In addition, the proposal suggests hiring a full-time staff
person to maintain the initiative.
Hower said systematic programming doesn't exist, but
when the programming is in place she hopes to incorporate
existing programs and help with publicity.
"The University cares about this issue," said Hower, who
See DRINKING, Page 7
- _; Pho os by JOYCE LEL;Jaii
Republican Stephen Rapundalo, Libertarian Charles Goodman and Democrat John Hieftje speak during a mayoral debate held last night at
Forsythe Middle School on Ann Arbor's west side. Mayor Ingrid Sheldon is not seeking re-election this year.
Housing costs, development
at center of m 9.6 ayoral debate
By Jeremy W. Peters
Daily Staff Reporter
The debate last night among the three
candidates seeking to become Ann Arbor's
next mayor CAMPAIGN
largely centered ,
around what to
do w ith developm e t w h n h
ment within the
city and how to address housing concerns.
Libertarian Charles Goodman, a philoso-
phy graduate student at the University;
Democrat John Hieftje, an Ann Arbor City
Council member; and Republican Stephen
Rapundalo, a Pfizer executive, are contest-
ing the open seat created by Mayor Ingrid
Sheldon's decision not to seek re-election.
Housing availability, particularly affordable
housing, was one topic to which the candi-
dates devoted much of the 90-minute debate.
"Affordable housing affects me because I
am a graduate student. Many of us have to
live in run-down, decrepit houses because
we just can't afford anything else,'' said
Goodman, who spoke first.
"What's the problem?" he asked the
audience at Forsythe Middle School.
"Well, some of the highest property taxes
in the Midwest doesn't help."
Goodman said as mayor he would seek to
lower property taxes through more privati-
zation of city services.
"This way we don't decrease the quality
of the services the city provides," he said.
See DEBATE, Page 7
Cue it up
Parents may disapprove, but
sleepovers normal in college
By Elizabeth Kassab
Daily Staff Reporter
They eat their meals together. They
shop for groceries together. They
study together. They are average col-
lege couples, and chances are that even
though they share a bed, they maintain
separate living spaces.
"I spend so much on rent, and I'm
never there," LSA junior Hetal Patel
said.
Patel estimated that in a 72-hour
period recently he spent five hours in
his own apartment. He spent most of
the remaining 67 hours with his girl-
friend, LSA junior Divya Jain.
Patel and Jain are a typical college
couple - they stop short of signing a
lease together but generally gravitate
seniorCheryl Bergrin said.
Pamela Smock, associate professor
of sociology and associate research
scientist at the Institute for Social
Research's Population Studies Center,
reviewed past studies on cohabitation
earlier this year.
"I speculate that, along with the
general population, the trend (of
cohabitation) is
upwards for col-
Slege students,"
SU & she said in a
" ' written state-
ment. "'Sleep-
ing over' has been, no doubt, on the
rise as well, given changing norms
about premarital sex."
LSA senior Kelley Kozman agreed
that attitudes toward sex are more
"My parents would definitely not
approve,' Kozman added.
With conflicting class schedules and
hectic daytime toutines, couples often
find that the evening is their only
chance to spend time together. It is
easier to sleep over than to make the
trek home.
Sleepovers between friends are
common as well. LSA freshman Mia
Chilman said it's simply more conve-
nient for her former boyfriend to crash
in her residence hall room, especially
when they have class together the next
morning.
The sleepover situation can get
especially difficult in residence
halls. Generally, one room serves as
a bedroom, kitchen and living room
'for two people, and the addition of a
third isn't alwtavs welPcomed. One
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