_.. .r ,. M F _ ._ R r,.. ,..e, y.,,.-, ,,,,. , -'... ,.. ,,.-R,,,,,e. f t 1 b b 4{ ; ,. , M } j, f.. :v. ... .' az x4Y :t'614 __ _ _ __The Michigan Daily - Monday, March 5, 2001- 7A New shire state police accuse Miciga ofaidng wa' ted N Federal officials may have used marijuana dealer as an informant CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - New Hampshire state police have accused federal officials in Michigan of aiding a marijuana dealer's life on the lam. New questions have been raised in the case against Alberto Lujan after the release of court documents and testi- mony by a New Hampshire state police sergeant. Lujan fled New Hampshire in 1992, and he was arrested six years later in Albion. Sgt. Michael Hambrook's testimony in January and newly released court records suggest that federal officials in Michigan used Lujan as an informant while he was on the lam even though he was considered New Hampshire's most wanted fugitive. Michigan officials deny the allega- tions. "That's false," Assistant U.S. Attor- ney Michael Liebson said this week. "Lujan was not paid as an informant. We did not use him as an informant. "It didn't happen. Period," he added. Lujan pleaded guilty last week in Concord to federal drug charges. Authorities said he helped move 33 tons of marijuana to New Hampshire and the Northeast through Arizona and Michigan. He faces 18 years in prison at his May sentencing. During Lujan's trial, New Hamp- shire police officer Hambrook testified about a meeting in February 1993, in Tucson, Ariz., four months after Lujan was indicted. He said Liebson and Drug Enforce- ment Administration agent Scott Syme, both of Michigan, wanted officials in New Hampshire and Arizona to drop charges against Lujan so he could work as an informant in Michigan. "The argument continued that this man could be very valuable to the gov- ernment, that he has a lot of valuable fugitive information that apparently thcy--%ere learning through a third party . and that they felt Lujan should be an infor- mant and that we should just basically get out of the way or stop being a.road- block in this thing and cooperate with them," Hambrook said. Hugh Davis, a Detroit lawyer who represented Lujan, testified thatiLjan cooperated with Michigan authorities on drug cases while being a fugitive: "Mr. Lujan had been a fugitive, for a number of years. During that lime he had engaged in a continuous process of cooperation with authorities in various ongoing drug investigations," Davis said. :onvicted SNRE senior Lena Van Haven and LSA game with children in Nogales, Mexii SPRING BREAK Continued from Page 1A mental groups, people living in rural and poor communities, the homeless, and alternative drug- free programs for kids. Local organizations such as St. Mary's Church, Hillel, New Life Church, the School of Public Health and Sister 2 Sister also participated in various alternative spring activities. While ASB allowed students to volunteer, other unconventional trips let students learn about everything from American history to living conditions in other coun- tries. Students on the Sociology 460 trip spent much of their time interacting with Hispanic families in the city of Nogales. The class stayed in colonias, which are shanty towns built to accommodate the overflowing populations of some Mexican -;ties. The people there were really inspiring in lots of ways. From their perspective, they knew they were poor and they knew they were in a bad situation. At the same time they wear still so incredibly happy to share their SAM HOLLENSHEAD/Daily A senior Rodolfo Palma-Lullon play a co, while on Alternative Spring Break. lives with us. They were so full of dignity and pride, it was amaz- ing," said Rodolfo Palma-Lulion, an LSA senior. The class stayed in the colonias for two nights. "It was a chilly, chilly night the first night we were there. The husband had built the house we stayed in, and there was no insula- tion. When you put your hand up against the wall, you could almost feel the wind," he said. Although they didn't get a lot of rest and relaxation, students said they were happy with their decision to spend their breaks doing something besides partying with friends. "It was fantastic. It was proba- bly one of the best spring break trips ever taken," Palma-Lulion said. The class also visited a Ford Motor Company car plant and a toxic dump site that was recently closed down for violations against Mexican laws. Other classes that took educa- tional field trips during spring break included Lloyd Hall Schol- ars Program 113. The class took a field trip throughout the South to various cites that played a role in the civil rights movement. Lawyers ght for wrongly LANSING (AP) - Michigan lawyers, law students and professors are teaming up to aid innocent convicts. "Every time an innocent person is arrested, con- victed, sentenced or executed, the real criminal is out there committing more crimes," New York attorney Barry Scheck told the nearly 600 people who attended a Friday event to kick off The Innocence Project at Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Scheck - a member of O.J. Simpson's legal "Dream Team," which helped convince jurors to acquit Simpson of murder in 1995 - started the Innocence Project at New York City's Cardozo School of Law in 1992 and has supported more than a dozen projects launched nationwide since. Of the nearly 100 wrongly convicted prisoners freed in the last decade, 10 were scheduled to die, Scheck said. JOBS Continued from Page1A started to affect overall employment. "With dot-coms falling, people going back to indu! are often at high-level positions, and it tends to trio down," Rado said. "There are alumni coming back,o ing what resources are available and looking at the all ni network." The automotive industry, which traditionally hire large number of University students, has felt the ac effects of slowing consumer confidence and spendi The impact has translated to falling employment; w the national rate of unemployment hit 4.2 percent January, unemployment in Michigan jumped to 4.5F cent. "We're assessing and reassessing our needs, but wv honoring all offers" said Mike Farrere, communicat' manager for Ford Global Recruiting. "It's important to maintain our relationships withu versities who have supported us," Farrere said. The outlook for employment remains relatively posit] "Every time an innocent person is arrested, convicted, sentenced or executed, the real criminal is out there." - Barry check Attaruey The Cooley project was co-founded and directed by Cooley professor Norman Fell and F. Martin Tieber, a lawyer with the State Appellate Defenders Office. Fell said the project already has received up to 400 requests from people who say they were wrong- ly convicted. He said it can take years to get results on a case. "It's a long-term commitment" Fell told the Lans- ing State Journal. "Some cases take three to four years before you even really get going on them." About 160 Michigan lawyers have offered't' vol- unteer with the project, which will begin reviewing cases soon. Limited resources and urgency based on time will be the biggest factors in deciding whichcases the group will take, Fell said. But even with the volunteered time of Michigan lawyers, Tieber said the project will rely on dona- tions. however, as recent declines follow years of expansion. "We've had record-breaking numbers," said Terri LaMarco, associate director of Career Planning and- Placement. "The job market has been strong for two to three years now, so it wouldn't be surprising to see a slowdown in terms of organizations reassessing (employ- ment). I think that's what we're seeing now." The Index of Leading Economic Indicators, a mea- surement used to gauge and forecast the national econo- my, has recently shown signs of moderation. After successive monthly declines of 0.4 percent, 0.3 percent and 0.5 percent, the index rose 0.8 percent in January. An official economic downturn, defined as a fall of 3.5 percent annualized over a six-month period, is now unlikely. Despite such encouraging signs, the forecast for next year's fall recruiting season remains uncertain. While few expect a drastic decline in campus recruiting, the potential for reduced activity remains. "I would hedge your bets," Rado suggested for stu- dents interviewing this fall, "and do more of an off-cam- pus search." TRIAL Continued from Page1A of racial preferences under the right circumstances," he said. But Miranda Massie, lead counsel for the intervenors in the Law School case, said the students should have been granted a trial. "It's very cavalier to make a sweep- ing dismissal of their arguments with- out affording the students a chance to develop them in a trial like the-one in the Law School," Massie said. "Students at the U of M should feel tremendously proud of what thdy have achieved in both these cases. It's clear- ly a setback, but getting turned away as intervenors in the first place"was a much bigger setback. If we keep-ight- ing and the campus keeps mobilizing, we can win." YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WOK: FIND OUT WHERE THE BIGGEST PAYCHECKS k ARE GOING ON CAMPUS. THE 2001 SALARY SUPPLEMENT IS AVAILABLE BEGINNING THIS WEEK AT THE STUDENT PUBLICATIONS BUILDING. the michigan daily {f{ GET A VISA CARD that earns you FREE airline tickets, clothes, music, etc. Online approval in 30 sec: www.get-creditcard.com UNIVERSITY BARTENDING CLASSES START SOON 1-800-U-CAN-MIX WWW.UNIVERSITYBARTENDING.COM MARDI GRAS Continued from Page1A conversations between good friends, new acquaintances - and bead nego- tiators. "Beads are the currency of choice." a New Orleans resident said. Although many Mardi Gras enthusi- asts were without clothes, very few were without beads. A 40-something man was wearing a g-string without pants. Right next to him stood a 20- something woman who had turned in her T-shirt for a chest painting. Despite the wacky fashion sense in New Orleans, beads were the perfect fit for all present. In the early 1980s, the bead craze started in the French Quarter as women bared their breasts in exchange for beads, and now the exchange has expanded to full frontal nudity. Today, the exchange of beads signifies an understood bargain that permits men and women to ask each other favors of their choice in exchange for the color- ful dangles. "I would have to say I think we stayed away from the really crazy stuff, but it was interesting to see girls flash- ing for beads while 10 guys stood around her taking pictures and video- taping!" Shapiro said. "I thinkmy favorite thing about Mardi Gras was the fact that we got to walk around covered in tacky looking beads while feeling really cool about it!" Shapiro said. Aside from the ever-present beads, there is no presiding theme for Mardi Gras, but each individual parade depicts a specific subject. The parade floats then support the krewe's theme for the year. A krewe is the generic term for all Carnival organizations in New Orleans, first used by the Mistick Krewe of Comus which coined the word in 1857 to give its club's name an Old English flavor. The themes created by more than 2,100 Mardi Gras parades staged in New Orleans since 1857 have ranged from absurd to the uplifting in nature. Among some of the more popular sub- jects have been stories, legends, geog- raphy, famous people, entertainment and mythology and literature. Lundi Gras precedes Mardi Gras as the eighth annual Orpheus parade entertained adoring crowds and showered groping hands with beads. The parade's founder, singer Harry Connick Jr. led a host of celebrities including Whoopi Goldberg as well as nearly 1,200 male and female members. Regardless of who rules the city, New Orleans is always known as "The Crescent City" because of its shape: The snug curve along the banks of the Mississippi River shapes a city that Mardi Gras temporarily bends of out shape. The New Orleans Department of Sanitation quantifies the amount of fun had in the Crescent City during the Carnival celebration that extended from Jan. 6 to the actual day of Mardi Gras on Feb. 27. According to deputy director Lisa Maack, 1,450 tons of garbage was hauled off city streets during last year's celebration. The 2001 Mardi Gras celebration was expected to set a record for the amount of garbage. (*) 1432 Washtenaw Ave. French Room (look for sign outside) 8:45 Wednesday evening I.The center or origin of rapid, intense activity or change... 2.A college Ministry program involving discussion, connection with other students and drinking coffee. i&y ran -, GROUND D CAMPUS TO METRO $40, Save when you share. Out of town rates, any occasion. Major -credit cards accepted. Clean, quick and dependable. Ann Arbor Taxi (734) 741-9000. ;WE ARE BUYING Big Ten Tournament KTickets. 888-246-8499. ®~ . ,aI Son't get stuck with an *wanted summer lease! Let u u Classified Department ease your subletting woes with our special Summer Sublet publication *adline: YWednesday, March 14, 4pm Cost: $37 if placed by March 9 (add $3.00 for color) $40 if placed between k "ar ., Visit our website: http://www.george345.com I AVAILABLE NOW spacious bdrm., own bath., every amenity, Woodchase Apts., AA, $350 mo, n-smkr. Call 546-3313. d '01 1 LIVE VIRTUAL CHATLINE call now. 818-933-4134. SEEKING AFFORDABLE kitchen space to rent. Call (734)223-1766. CITY Continued from Page1A "People assist us in the reporting of crimes and there is a perception of safety that comes from the officers in the neighborhoods," Logghe said. Logghe added that though the Uni- versity "adds to the vitality" of the city, it lures a high number of larce- nies. "Any time you have a University, you are going to have a lot of undesir- ables that prey on students," Logghe said. "Students usually have things that aren't for profit," Holman said. "There are a staggering number of people in Ann Arbor that are extremely concerned in expressing their views - it attracts the type of people who want to be active and involved." Holman added that the city offers a number ofjobs for students. Ingrid Sheldon, who was mayor of Ann Arbor from 1993 until last November, said when the Universi- ty came to Ann Arbor in 1837 it was the economic engine for the city but has since "taken on its own iilnl a u u n ivrra l I W--w slims