One hundred ten years ofeditondfreedom y { - V "n r i NEWS: 76-DAILY CLASSIFIED: 7 557 www michigandaily. com Friday March 9, 2001 i $s ". . - - ' i I U1SAeiections IPat ne of a six-partseies about campain p4mplatf ns BluePar Ianks ond sMSA By Carrie Thorson DjStaff Rportr With winter elections for the Michigan Student Assembly less than two weeks away, the various parties represented in the elections are busy finalizing their platforms: The Blue Party platform for the elections reflects not only new ideas but accomplishments of the Blue Party candidates currently serving on MSA. "e can campaign not only on t gs we want to do but on things we've gotten done," said Blue Party presidential candidate Matt Nolan. He attributed the addition of acade- mic minors to the efforts of Blue Party members. The premier item on the Blue Party platform is online coursepa- cks, Nolan said. With the Media Union Coursetools online, Blue P*y candidates said they will attempt to have all coursepack arti- cles posted on the Web so students can save money. "Students spend too much money on coursepacks," said Nolan. "There's nothing preventing profes- sors from posting all articles online." The Blue Party would also like to create a Campus Improvement Task F e to deal with campus projects th currently do not have a speci- fied place in MSA but have been worked on by Blue Party members in the past. "The sidewalk added outside Angell Hall was a Blue Party plat- form issue in the last election," said vice-presidential candidate Jessica Cash. "We're proposing solutions that we know how to complete." *her issues the task force would deal with are installing ice machines in residence halls, improving elevators in the Dennison Building, coordinating all campus clocks to display the same time, installing more bicycle racks, and working for better snow removal methods. "Other parties identify problems. Our platform addresses these prob- lems with proactive solutions," uParty members have been working with the office of Vice President for Student Affairs E. Royster Harper to secure two days off in the middle of fall term. They also plan to try and push back spring break one week to begin in March. If elected, the Blue Party plans to g oute maps and time schedules poed at all bus stops during the 2001-2002 academic year. They also stand firmly against the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority merger, said Nolan, and will pro- vide a strong student voice in the upcoming decisions. Nolan said Blue Party members will work to endorse a bill currently before the state House that would lift the 6 percent sales tax from pur- ches of all required textbooks. her items on the Blue Party platform include pushing back the pass/fail deadline, expanding access and hours to University buildings, increasing the number for restau- rants that accept Entree Plus, and increasing funding for student groups. They also plan to add a Greek Relations Commission to MSA and a Residence Hall Con- st tion Oversight Board to ensure student input in the building of a new residence hall. "The Blue party platform was constructed to represent the views of all students, not just those of a particular affiliation," said LSA cnhman Tnn .rmmn By Carrie Thorson Daly Staff Reporter Erika Dowdell and Jessica Curtin, the Defend Affirmative Action Party presidential and vice- presidential candidates in the Michigan Student Assembly elections, have been disqualified from the election along with five other candidates. Dowdell, DAAP's presidential candidate, failed to attend a mandatory candidates meeting Tuesday. Candidates were informed that failure to contact the-election director 24 hours prior to this meeting would result in removal from the ballot. Housing Program Director Jackie Mims-Hick- man and Residence Halls Association President Jason Taylor spoke at the meeting on the new solicitation policy for candidates in the residence adidates tossed out halls. Curtin attended the meeting but was disquali- fied because of her position as Dowdell's running mate. "This is completely ridiculous," Dowdell said. "I've missed a great number of MSA meetings in the past" "The Election Board does not have the right to decide what the qualifications for being a candi- date are," Curtin said. "They are bureaucrats on a power trip." Dowdell and Curtin said the decision was unprecedented because the ruling of the Election Board stemmed from its own rules, not the guidelines listed in the MSA code and constitu- tion. "I think our decision was fair," said College of Architecture and Urban Planning Rep. Shana Shevitz, a member of the election board. "It is of utmost importance to candidates to understand this new policy that not only University Housing set but that MSA has endorsed" "There is nothing at that meeting that I wouldn't have known before," Dowdell said. Although several Blue Party and Michigan Party members were also disqualified, DAAP is the only party that has appealed the case to the Central Student Judiciary. If CSJ accepts the case, they will make the final. decision on whether the DAAP candidates may participate in the election. "I had a feeling this would happen," said She- vitz. "It still didn't sway me from believing that See MSA, Page 7A Candidates disqualified from the MSA election President/vice president Erika Dowdell Jessica Curtin LSA representative John Alexander Arvind Grover Rackham representative Rich Ghazarian Magdalena Przydzial Business representative Muhammed Mian DAAP DAAP Independent DAAP Michigan Party Blue Party DAAP , t " = r° :: r 5 ' ' n 3 ,- By Jen Fsh Daily Staff Reporter Harvard University will announce its new president by Monday, according to a report in The Boston Globe, and two changes in the University of Michigan's online directory yes- terday may signal an impending departure for Lee Bollinger. The directory listing for Provost Nancy Cantor now reads "Office of the President" rather than her previous title, "Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs." Cantor, the highest-ranking academic officer under Bollinger, would be a logi- cal choice for interim president should Bollinger depart. Vice Provost for International Affairs Michael Kennedy's title was changed to reflect Cantor's current position as provost. "I've not been spoken to," Kennedy Salinger said when reached at his home last night. "I'll wait and see what happens tomorrow." University spokeswoman Julie Peterson dismissed the changes and said she was unaware of any administrative reshuffling. Cantor, who is in Germany, was unavailable to comnent. Bollinger is rumored to be the Harvard committee's top choice, but he has refused to comment on the process. Quoting sources close to Harvard's search process, the Globe reported that members of the search committee are scheduled to convene over the weekend, apparently to meet with Harvard's deans. Some members of the search committee strongly oppose Harvard Provost Harvey Fineberg, who was initially expected to be the frontrunner for the post, the Globe reported. Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers, the other finalist for the job, is viewed as not having enough leadership experi- ence at a university. See HARVARD, Page 7A DAVID KATZ/Daily Michigan coach Brian Ellerbe follows guard Gavin Groninger and center Josh Moore off the court yesterday following an 82-80 loss to Penn State in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament that ended the season for the Wolverines. Michigan finished 1048 overall. Seasoln enllds onl last-secofnd shot By Michael Kern Daily Sports Editor CHICAGO - With 0.3 seconds remain- ing on the clock in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, Penn State forward Gyasi Cl i n e - H e a r d drove the finalr PENN STATE 82 nail in the coffin of the Michigan MICHIGAN 80 basketball team's season and perhaps Michigan coach Brian Ellerbe's career with a layup off of a Bran- don Watkins'iissed jumper. The shot gave the Nittany Lions an 82-80 victory, ending Michigan's season. The Wolverines finished the year with a 10-18 overall record (4-12 Big Ten), the worst a Michigan team has finished since an 8-19 record in the 1981-82 season. For Ellerbe, last night's loss may have been his last on a Michigan sideline. For months, there has been speculation about the coach's future. The Big Ten Tournament may have been his final chance to prove himself worthy to keep the job. But now, Ellerbe must wait for Athletic Director Bill Martin to make a decision about his future. For the last few weeks, Martin has refused to comment on Ellerbe's status, stating only that he would evaluate the men's basketball program at the end of the year the same way that he evaluates all Michigan programs. "We haven't excelled the way we would like to the last four years. But we have been under some unexpected and different type situations," Ellerbe said. "When we earned See MICHIGAN, Page 7A Dance Marathon ready to rock all night, patal Y Day of celebration By Maria Sprow Daily Staff Reporter Two hundred and fifty students have decided to dance away the weekend in an attempt to raise money for the Child and Family Life Services and Pediatric Rehabilitation Service departments at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital by' volunteering for Dance Marathon, one of the Uni- versity's biggest annual fundraisers. This is the fourth time the Univer- sity has hosted the fundraiser, which acts as the culmination of year- around fundraisers put on by the Dance Marathon student organiza- tion. The marathon has become more £MWar&fty of NCkhM Dance Marathon successful every year, drawing in more participants and bigger contri- butions. The idea for a dance marathon started at Penn State University, which had its first marathon in the 1970s. Since then, the trend has spread to universities across the country. The contributions raised this week- end will go toward rehabilitation equipment for children with physical disabilities, as well as recreational activities that will allow children to have "some of the fun things in life," said Sara Hickey, Program Coordina- tor of Mott Hospital operations. The activities include discharge and transplant parties, field trips and supplies for art therapy. Money will also go towards expanding Mott's school re-entry program, making it easier for children who are recover- ing from an illness to attend school. In the past, the hospital has been very impressed with the work put See DANCE, Page 7A RACHEL FEIERMAN/ Daily Rabbi Alter Goldstein reads the Megillah yesterday at the Chabad House for Purim, a celebration of the Jews' perseverance throughout a history of persecution. Blanchard has early edge in 2002 governor race By Louie Meizlish Daily StaffrReporter Although it has only been four months since the last statewide election, candidates are already beginning to line up for the 2002 governor's race - particularly on the Democratic side, where it seems likely that at least one of three prominent Michion noliticins will rnm nifer Granhohn finished second with 26 percent, followed by U.S. Rep. David Bonior of Mt. Clemens with 16 percent and state Sen. Gary Peters of Bloomfield Township with 2 percent. The winner of the Democratic primary will likely face Lt. Gov. Dick Posthumus in the November general election. Posthumus seems to have gained the support of most Republicans, although there is sneculation that Sen. John According to the poll, whose margin of error is plus or minus 5 percent, if the general elec- tion were held today both Granholm and Blan- chard would defeat Posthumus by 20-point margins with a Bonior-Posthumus race too close to call. Blanchard served as governor from 1983 until he was defeated in 1990 by current Gov. John EnIder. "If things continue, there's no question about it," he said this week. He admitted, however, that it is too early to predict the winner of the Democratic primary. "They can take polls now that show I win, but that may not be the case a year from now," he said. Granholm has not formally declared her candi- dacy, although she did admit to planning a run t I i