One hundred ten years ofeditorialfreedom
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www. michigandaily. cam
Wednsi
February 14 2001
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By Anna Clark
Daily Staff Reporter
a
v housing
tion between undergraduates and faculty, and
between freshmen and upper-class students,"
Crowded residence halls have sparked the
University's interest in moving forward with
the construction of a new hall, the first to be
built since 1968.
"We obviously have housing needs," Uni-
versity Provost Nancy Cantor said yesterday.
At tomorrow's monthly meeting at the Lurie
Engineering Building on North Campus, the
University's Board of Regents is expected to
authorize the University to look into the con-
struction of the residence hall.
Specifically, the University will look into
possible architects and site locations before
returning to the regents with their recommen-
dations.
While Cantor said the new residence hall is
in the "very early planning stage," she said it
fits with the University's initiatives to enhance
the undergraduate experience on campus.
The increase in living-learning communities
and the consideration of technology in the res-
idence halls come from the same goals as the
new hall, Cantor said.
"From my perspective, it's important to
increase the academic programs in dorms, to
provide more opportunities for casual interac-
Cantor said.
"The idea is to provide spaces for rich inter-
action,"she added.
Residence Hall Association President Jason
Taylor, an LSA senior, noted other advantaiges
available in the construction.
"What excites me is that this is a tare
opportunity for students and administrators to
work together to build a residence hall," Ty-
lor said.
University Housing Director Alan Levy said
it's too early to comment on the new residenice
hall.
In November, University President I4e
Bollinger said one of Vice President for Stu-
dent Affairs E. Royster Harper's first respoin-
sibilities in her new position would be to look
into improvements in residence hall livin.
Harper would not comment on the issue of a
new hall yesterday.
But Bollinger said he recognized this
demand for more housing.
"It's clear to me that we need at least oro
new hall," he said at the time.
He added that improvements in the current
residence halls, including -innovative program-
See REGENTS, Page 9
Members of Students Organizing for Labor and
Burkhardt speaks to his fellow workers at a pr
support
By Jacquelyn Nixon
Daily Staff Reporter
Chanting "our campus... our buses,"
more than 50 students, University
employees and union members supporting
niversity bus drivers gathered yesterday
afternoon on the Diag to a beating drum
and tambourine.
The group said they were angered at the
lack of attention the University is giving
to the drivers' positions in the current
negotiations with the Ann Arbor Trans-
portation Authority. Drivers fear the loss
of their jobs and foresee a failing bus sys-
tem through a partnership with AATA.
"You can't expect to have an A-team,
nd bring in a C-team to get an A-plus,"
student bus driver Marisa Arnold said.
JEFF HURVITI! aily
Economic Equality, the Black Student Union and University bus drivers gather as driver Scott
otest yesterday in the Diag.
stude ts rally in
of bus dri-vers.t
Throughout the week, drivers have been
collecting petitions and handing out fliers
to promote awareness on campus before
the University Board of Regents meeting
tomorrow. Michael Edwards, the president
of the American Federation of State
County and Municipal Employees - the
union the drivers belong to - is expected
to speak, as well as a student committee.
Among many consequences, drivers
predict an intensified partnership with
AATA will mean longer wait times and
changes for students..
"I would hate for the University to be
sold out to an inefficient bus system' said
Arnold, an LSA freshman.
Facilities and Operations spokeswoman
Diane Brown said if the University signs a
contract with AATA, routes filled by
AATA service would be similar to Route
36, which runs along State Street to
Wolverine Tower and also to downtown
on a frequent cycle.
"An hour service or even a half-hour
service isn't going to make it," Brown
said.
"If a particular route has 10-minute ser-
vice right now, it won't be feasible for it
to go to 15-minute service. They will have
to go 10 or less. Administration is very
firm on that - it won't work," she said.
Some AATA employees attended the
University bus driver's rally.
"An AATA employee who drives with
us saw AATA managers in the crowd
about 45 minutes into the rally," he said.
"They had seen our fliers and wanted to
See BUSES, Page 9
Classes prepare
for Shakespeare
company visit
By=Andrew D. Kim
Daily Staff Reporter
In a rare appearance, England's Royal Shakespeare Com-
pany will be performing at the Power Center in March, and
some professors are planning to take full advantage of the
group's stint in Ann Arbor.
"We don't have to go to New York or England to see
Rm," said University renaissance literature Prof. Steven
ullaney.
During its weeklong visit beginning March 10, the RSC
will perform four plays at the Power Center. Scheduled to
be performed are "Henry VI" parts one, two and three, and
"Richard III."
"A lot of people from faculty to students are very excited
about this," Mullaney said. "It's a very big deal. You don't
get to see these plays frequently."
Ann Arbor is the only U.S. city the RSC is expected to
perform "Henry VI" and "Richard II1" where during its
2001 tour.
ftThe 'Henry VI' plays are seldom produced among
Aakespeare's plays," said English Prof. Ralph Williams,
who has been working closely with the RSC in the past
months. "It's just great to be able to see them."
Founded in 1879, The Royal Shakespeare Company, based
in the bard's birthplace of Stratford-upon-Avon, is considered
one of the leading Shakespeare companies in the world.
Professors like Williams and Mullaney have tailored their
classes for the event and have been actively encouraging
participation among their students.
"I have never taught these plays to undergraduates," Mul-
0ey said, "But because of this opportunity, I designed my
classes so we could cover these four plays: '
Many students will experience the RSC for the first time.
"I'm actually pretty hyped to see them, said LSA sopho-
more Chris Rainwater. "Professor Mullaney presented the
material real well and it seemed like a great opportunity."
Students who have already seen the RSC perform have
winter wieners
BENOD NNEIJ V~LL/UDaIy
SNRE student Hsiu-Mel Chein looks at photographs of African-American women at the cultural exhibit In
the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library yesterday.
Museumloo ksat
stereotypes on TV
By Maria Sprow
Daily Staff Reporter
Anyone can spend an hour watching televi-
sion and flipping through the channels. But
some are taking an active role in a normally
passive activity, and asserting that the media
creates stereotypes of minorities.
"The stereotype is whatever the media cre-
ates," said LSA junior Amar Mutnal.
The issue of stereotypes in the media sprout-
ed as part of Black History Month. The Uni-
versity chose to confront the history of the
debate by exhibiting "A Sense of Justice: A
Mass Media Perspective" in the North Lobby
of the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library
throughout this month.
The purpose of the exhibit is to "raise
awareness of African American depictions
through out history," said Julie Herrada, one of
the curators in charge of the special collections
exhibit and the person responsible for the
exhibit.
The exhibit features images of blacks taken
from the 1700s through the 1960s. The collec-
tion was started and maintained by Charles
Simmons, a professor at Eastern Michigan
University, and depicts slaves before the Revo-
lutionary war, black athletes, workers and
events which contributed to the civil rights
movement.
"It explores the misinformation of slave
trade before the American Revolution," said
Wanda Monroe, public relations representative
for the library.
While some viewers might not see a connec-
tion between the exhibit, which shows distort-
ed, clown-like images of blacks, and
present-day media images, recent research has
See ART, Page 9
BRENDANO'DONNELL/Daily
Despite the cold, Steve Goff of Bieners Wieners serves up hot dogs on the
comer of North University Avenue and South State Street yesterday.
State Street project design nearly complete
By James Restivo
Daily Staff Reporter
The long-awaited State Street area reno-
vation project took another step last night
when designers presented a proposal that
is about "90 percent" complete to Ann
Arbor community members at City Hall
last night.
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munity to answer specific concerns," Pol-
lay said.
The project, which began when the
DDA commissioned a study by the Uni-
versity, encompasses the areas just west of
campus, surrounded by Thayer, William,
Division and Washington streets.
The goal of the project is to "enhance
the vitality through the implementation of
A A4 _1 1 n
The proposal also emphasized the use
of Maynard Street as a "front door" to the
area, with increased accessibility due to
the reconfiguration of the streets, said Tom
Heywood, executive director of the State
Street Area Association.
An argument at last night's meeting
against the new proposal was the lack of
bike lanes. Ken Clark, chair of the city's
orities are the potential to get more
cyclists."
Due to regulations, the required space
taken for a bike-lane would be seven feet,
which designers from the architect group
Pollack Design Associates, who were
commissioned for the design, said would
be impossible in light of other concerns.
"Ann Arbor is a historic town and the