One hundred ten years ofeditorfdlfreedom r Y CL" " NEWS: 76-DAILY CLASSIFIED: 7640557 wwwmichigandaily.com Wednesday November 15, 2000 m CXJ,4 NO. a ... ,:" , ., ,w.. " ?i .. .. .:.~ t >~" ' ,. s. .°" z..xriAd^&,a, e'er 'eCS . ?<" r3 ,sd: . N" io;,..,, ", s. ^,F.t +39a E .t ,sr,5; POO Admission trial to gt started in ODetroit By Jon Fish and Usa Koivu Daily Staff Reporters Bush by 300 1 Florida The wait may soon be over. After three years of gathering evi- dence and legal maneuvering, the law- uit challenging the use of race as a ctor in admissions to the College of Literature, Sciences and the Arts is headed to its first hearing in federal court. Judge Patrick Duggan will hear oral arguments for summary judgment tomorrow in federal district court in Detroit. Last spring, both sides submit- ted motions for a summary judgment - in which the judge is asked to make a decision on the case based on sub- itted evidence without going to trial. History The suit was initially filed Oct. 13, 1997, by the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Individual Rights on behalf of two white applicants, Patrick Hamacher and Jennife Gratz, who claim they were unfairly evaluat- ed under the LSA admissions process. CIR filed a nearly identical case in December 1997 chal- lenging the A admissions system for the Universi- ty's Law School. Since then, the case has been sub- ject to numerous delays. In August 998, the Sixth Circuit Court of ppeals in Cincinnati allowed the entrance of the intervening defendants after Duggan initially denied the inclu- sion of the third party. The law University Deputy General Counsel Liz Barry said the case is not about the University's specific admission processes but the law that was used to nstruct those policies, specifically the 1978 Supreme Court ruling in the case of Regents of University ofCali- fornia v. Bakke. In that case, the high court ruled the use of racial quotas as unconstitution- al, but Justice Lewis Powell wrote in the opinion that attaining diversity is a compelling governmental interest. CIR chief executive officer Terry Pell has told The Michigan Daily that his case is watertight, based on a firm nstitutional argument. Pell contends that the use of race in admissions is discriminatory toward whites and therefore unconstitutional, but the University intends to use the Bakke case to justify their policies and prove diversity is beneficial to students. The intervenors agree with the University but assert that affirmative action is necessary to correct past 1iscrimination. Third parties The intervenors are comprised of a coalition of civil rights groups and Detroit high school students. To be allowed into the case, they had to prove they had an interest in the law- suit and neither the plaintiff nor the defendants would adequately represent their interest in the case. In addition to gaining the support of e intervenors, a number of other col- ges, corporations and other groups have thrown their weight behind the University's defense. Last month, 20 Fortune 500 companies - including Microsoft, Intel and Kellogg - filed an amicus brief, or friend of the court brief, in support of the University's admissions practices. Barry said this support adds another unique dimension to the case. * "The fact that practically every sec- tor of society has weighed in demon- strates how much is at stake and how much respect people have for the Uni- versity, it's policies and its defense of the policies;' she said. Officials at both the Law School nA I 'ZA An nt disnuite that raic is Short weeks, late classes guide scheduling By Samantha Ganey For the Daily perfect schedule begins with classes at 10 a.m. For those looking for help in selecting classes, the LSA Academic Advising Center is one place "I go by time - not professor. I To LSA senior Stanton Jones the school week try to balance out harder classes should only be four days long, with ones that are easier and have "I always try not to have classes on Fridays," more group work," Harris said. he said. "I thought a class about coral Jones is one of many students who try to short- reefs was low key. I thought we'd en their week by only scheduling classes for see pictures of Australia and Monday through Thursday. scuba diving. But you learned sci- LSA sophomore Melissa Harris said the entific names of coral," she said. S-TUDENr .f, to turn. "We provide a breadth of infor- mation and let students make choices," Academic Advising Cen- ter Director Alice Reinarz said. Reinarz said advisers encourage students to "back up, examine interests and then choose classes." student clubs, read through online course guides, use advisers in each residence hall and visit the Peer Academic Advising Office, which has old exams and peer advice readily available. "I go to Wolverine Access and look at course availability and descriptions- -- if they're there," LSA sophomore Amanda Hopkins said. "And I talk with friends about what they're interested in." See CLASSES, Page 7 Reinarz said she hopes students seek out Leadership election By Jane KruII and Johanna Wetmore Daily Staff Reporters} After Michigan Student Assembly President Hideki Tsutsumi stepped away from his job of chairing the Tues- day night meetings for three weeks earlier this semester, Regents to vote on construction items, Harper By Carrie Thorson Daily Staff Reporter At this week's meeting of the University Board of Regents, the board will vote on an administrative rec- ommendation to name E. Royster Harper as the perma- nent vice president for student affairs. "As for me, voting on Royster Ilarper will be the most important issue of Thursday's meeting," said Regent Kathy White (D-Ann Arbor). "I strongly sup- port her." If approved, Harper, who served as interim vice presi- dent for student affairs and dean of students, will be the only executive officer to remain from the tenure of for- mer University President James Duderstadt, who resigned five years ago. Harper, recommended by University President Lee Bollinger, has the support of other regents as well. "I think she's a terrific person and she'll serve well in that capacity," Regent David Brandon (R-Ann Arbor) said. The regents will also approve honorary degree recipi- ents. When approved, one of these recipients will be the keynote speaker at winter commencement. Author Elmore Leonard is being recommended for a M~l SA 4,}Sc+ f" .. J.. . many students were left ques- tioning the assembly's leader- ship. While Blue Party candidate Jessica Cash said she believes Hideki is not the most experi- enced MSA president, she thinks the current leadership situation in MSA is a learning experience. "It's making reps step up from their normal duties," she said. Fellow Blue Party candidate Ben Whetsell does not see it as a JOYCELELL/Daily LSA sophomore Doug Teitz, who is running for a representative spot on the Michigan Student Assembly, speaks with LSA and Music sophomore Matt Henninger and LSA sophomore Brett Altman in West Quad yesterday. MSA candidates not worr4fied aboutf raud Part three in a three- part series on the issues in the assembly's election By Johanna Wetmore Daily Staff Reporter The online student government elections site for the LSA Student Government, University of Michigan Engineering Council and Michigan seems to take a lot of motivation to vote," said Michigan Party leader Doug Tietz, who is running for one of the 21 open representative spots on MSA. Blue Party candidate Jessica Cash said she agrees and believes in the I nrnblem with leadershin but rather that MSA is not t