One hundred ten years of edi aldfreedom Ad NEWS: 76-DAILY CLASSIFIED: 7640557 wwwmichigandaily.com Friday February 2, 2001 --- -- -- - 'j - ,y ' .2. I * Theta Chi and Delta Sigma Phi to be alcohol-free by 2003 acque'yn Nixon Staff Reporter Within two years, the Theta Chi and Delta Sigma Phi fraternity chapters on campus will be alcohol-free, adding to a number of Greek organizations that are making the move to "dry" houses. In recent years, many national fraternities have taken significant strides toward making all chapters nationwide alcohol-free as a result of reek us%;s to 90 dry insurance liability and the trend of limiting alcohol at fraternity houses. "It's a long-term changing of the norm," said Interfraternity Council President Marc Hlustvedt. "Ten years from now there may not be chapter events at any of the houses with alcohol." The rise in dry fraternities began in 1997 when the national leadership of Sigma Nu and Phi Delta Theta made the decision to become alcohol-free by 2000. All chapters of Delta Sigma Phi and Theta Chi are slated to be alcohol-free by 2003. National Theta Chi Director David Westhall said the decision to make all chapter houses alcohol-free is not to absolve liability in alco- hol-related incidents. "It's about the changing culture in the chap- ters," he said. "We saw the trends of chapter houses and we made a task force of alumni and undergraduates to look at the issue." In 1998; national officials from Delta Sigma Phi decided to remove alcohol from its chapter houses by December 10, 2000. "It's a better way to manager operations," said Delta Sigma Phi executive director Jon Hockman. Adam Small, president of the University's Delta Sigma Phi chapter, said the action came as a result of low grades among members at other schools around the country in addition to insurance liability issues. Although the move toward alcohol-free houses has begun on a national level, some local chapters have acted independently of their national organization to institute alcohol-free chapters. The University's Lambda Chi Alpha chapter was shut down in 1994 after its board of direc- tors put thefraternity on probation for four months due to its risk-management violations. "Our guys got out of hand and ruined the house," said Lambda Chi Alpha President Sachin Master. The fraternity is reforming this semester and has plans to move back into their house in late 2002. Master said Lambda Chi Alpha members do not foresee any problems with living in an alcohol-free environment. "We've been a dry house since we started up again in the winter of 1998, so the brothers in our house are used to it," Master said. "It doesn't take a lot to have an alcohol-free par- ties in the house, but we still haven't decided what we're going to do about holding parties See DRY, Page 7 Confrmation of Ashcroft fills Cabinet From staff and wire reports AUM/Daily Angeles nderre- k up or ized as nd you a Ileto. do and WASHINGTON - The Senate confirmed John Ashcroft as attorney general yesterday, giving President Bush a victory in his first battle with congressional Democrats and complet- ing his Cabinet. Eight Democrats joined all 50 Republican sena- tors in the 58-42 vote in favor of the former Missouri senator. The num- ber of votes against the nomi- nation represented the biggest rebuke of a one-time Sen- ate colleague since 1989, when the Ashcroft Senate rejected Bush's father's nomination of former Texas Sen. John Tower as secretary of defense. Conceding weeks ago that they couldn't stop Ashcroft; Democratic leaders had attempted to muster enough votes to show Bush they have the ability to defeat conservative nomi- nees in the future, particularly candi- dates for any Supreme Court vacancy. "His nominees for the Supreme Court would better serve the nation if they came from the middle," said Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) The 42 votes would give the Democrats the opportunity to perform a filibuster - a procedural delay that effectively kills a nomination by debat- ing it to death - as 60 votes are need- ed to stop one. Dennis Denno, spokesman for the Michigan Democratic Party, said he feels the Democrats sent a strong mes- sage to the president. "I think it shows that Democrats can use the filibuster if necessary if George W. Bush decides to go with another controversial candidate, for instance in the Supreme Court," he said. The chamber's top Democrat, Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota, told reporters his party would cooperate on moderate nomina- tions. "But we're going to be very con- cerned when they come from the far right, and we'll use whatever means necessary" In this case, Daschle said, Democ- rats abandoned the idea of a filibuster because Ashcroft, a Missouri Republi- can, is a former colleague and because many believe a president deserves to choose his own Cabinet members, none of whom are lifetime appointees. The Democrats who voted for Ashcroft were Sens. John Breaux of Louisiana, Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, Kent Conrad and Byron Dor- gan of North Dakota, Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, Zell Miller of Georgia and Ben Nelson of Nebraska. Although Denno said he is hopeful Ashcroft will uphold the law and push aside his conservative views, he chas- tised Bush for making the nomination. "The important thing here is that George W Bush wanted to unify this country and I question whether or not See ASHCROF, Page 7 ABBY ROSENBi RC freshman Katie Gell, surrounded by otherstudents, holds a candle at a vg4ast night on the Diag to bring awareness to hate crimes. Wy Sharon Wong or the Daily In an effort to promote public awareness of hate crimes as well as to fight against racially-motivated and discriminatory acts, University students, family and friends endured the cold, windy evening and gathered in the Diag last night at a candlelight vigil. The shining candles were meant *areveal not only the harsh reality hundreds of hate crimes are still committed across the nation, e college campuses, but also an opport dents to unite together. "There is a great need in our coi such an event. ... There is a lot of about people of color and lesbians an Jim Leija, a Music junior and chair of Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Comm ichigan Student Assembly. SILENT NIGHT Vigil-memorializes hatecrime vicim specially on As a continuation of this year's Martin Luther goal: fighting unity for stu- King Jr. Symposium, organizations including the are directed to LGBT Commission, the Rainbow/PUSH Coali- icans or Mush nmunity for tion, the Native American Student Association Ismael Ilet uncertainty and the United Asian American Organizations continue fight d gays," said joined to plan and sponsor the vigil with guest "There are the Lesbian, speakers Ismael and Deena Ileto, brother and said. "Write iission of the sister-in-law of the late Joseph Ileto. Ileto, a Fil- advocate the ipino-American postman, was murdered by a white supremacist in Los A on Aug. 10, 1999. Hate crimes are "being ui ported. ... We need to speak else we will not be recogni equals," Ismael Ileto said. "Hate has no boundaries a are our future," said Deen "We have a lot of work to we need to start here." The focus of the many speakers from the student groups empha- sized the importance of uniting to form one voice for one common against violent crimes, whether they owards gays or lesbians, Asian-Amer- ims. o said it is important for students to ing against hate crimes. a lot more things we can do," Ileto to legislators, voice our concerns, prevention of hate-related websites See VIGIL, Page 7 Flower power Sophomore to appear on lame show By Maria Sprow Daily Staff Reporter Engineering sophomore Sarah Boot is proof that everyone gets their 15 minutes of fame at one point in time. Come the week of Feb. 12, Boot will make her television debut as a contestant on Hollywood Squares. *oot said it was by chance that she auditioned for the show back in October. "I needed to get up early anyway to study for a bio exam," she said. "I decided to give it a shot." So Boot said she then went to the Michigan Union, where the tryouts were held, and audi- tioned. The show's oroducers chose Boot out of more Winter puts a chill in Parents Weekend 2001 By Jane Krull Daily Staff Reporter LSA freshman Lisa Kalmus, a native Californian, said her parents wanted to attend this year's Parents Weekend festivities but the Michigan winter kept them away. "My mom didn't want to come to Michigan in February - it is too cold for her," Kalmus said. Parents Weekend, which begins today, is held each year to give parents an insight into the University community. Events are hosted by the Student Alumni Council. SAC President Janet Hodges said there are 1,500 parents registered for this weekend's activities, which is significant- ly down from past years when attendance has topped out at 3,000. Hodges said 1,500 parents is a success since they were expecting much fewer, considering the weekend's C~ourtesy KingvWord tProductions Engineering sophomore Sarah Boot will appear on the "Hollywood Squares" College Tournament with host Tom Bergeron. for the show. After auditions, hopeful contestants were weeded out, and about half of them were asked to participate in a mock game show. The mock game show didn't come at the best of times for Boot. "It was during finals week and I thought I was ME ,. t "