One hundred ten years'f ednr z-l freedom Irni NEWS: 76-DAILY CLASSIFIED: 764-0557 www~michigandaily.com Friday January 12, 2001 > D ~ t " (a i-4. I Law By Jon Fish Daily Staff Reporter _I Three years of scrutinizing the admissions system and piecing tether the arguments for and against affirmative action will come down to 90 hours of courtroom time. After the long wait, Barbara Grutter v. Lee Bollinger et. al, will finally enter the courtroom on Tuesday. Set to begin at 9 a.m. in Judge Bernard Friedman's Federal District courtroom in Detroit, each side in the dispute will have 30 hours to pent evidence on the following issues: The extent to which the Law School takes race into consideration in its policies. Olmos to keynote 1MLK day events By Elizabeth Kassab Daily Staff Reporter The annual celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.'s life takes on a new dimension at the University this year in light of the affirmative action case against the Law School that goes to trial on Tuesday. The theme of the 14th Annual Symposium in honor of King, "Commitment and Renewal," is fit- ting because the University remains f' in its commitment to issues, ituding affirmative action, said Damon Williams, a Rackham gradu- ate student and chair of the 2001 Martin Luther King, Jr. Symposium planning committee. The Symposium "represents the opportunity for the campus communi- ty to celebrate diversity," Williams said. "It manifests itself in so many d rent ways." ongressman John Conyers (D-Det.), who co-sponsored the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives instituting a federal holiday in honor of King in See MLK, Page 2 MLK events l Edward James Comm'tmet os on Monday, Renewal .15 at 10 a.m. in Hill Auditorium l Congressman John Conyers (D-Det.) speaks on "Continuing the Struggle for Equality: Why we Stand for Affirmative Action" on Monday, Jan. 15 at 2 p.m. in Hutchins Hall Go to www.mlksymposium.org for a full listing of events Schoo ® Whether the Law School poli- cies consist of a double standard that favors less-qualified minority appli- cants. Whether race should be used to offset the advantages caucasian applicants may have in evaluating standardized test scores and grade point aver- ages. Throughout this process, the University and Center for Individ- ual Rights have clashed over the constitutional question of whether diversity is a "compelling govern- ment interest" as outlined by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell in the 1978 case University of Cali- trial begins fornia Regents v Bakke. Friedman indicated at a hearing on two motions for summary judg- ment last month he would take the question of whether diversity is a compelling government interest under advise- ment. However, the trial will focus on how race can be applied under the current reading of Bakke. The University's defense, known as the "diversity rationale," has been joined by a coalition of Detroit high school students and civil rights advocates who successfully peti- tioned to intervene in the case in August 1999. See ADMISSIONS, Page 7 Making an argument Each party in the law- suit will have 30 hours to present their case, likely involving these witnesses: ECIR Alan Stillwagon: Dean of Admissions until 1990. University Lee Bollinger: President of the University, Law School Dean from 198741994. * Intervenors Connie Escobar: Current Law School student. Inside: Compelling government interest key to case. Page 12. Tuesday By Jen Fish Daily Staff Reporter This is it. After numerous delays and much legal posturing on all sides, the lawsuits chal- lenging the Law School's admissions process will finally have its day in court. Lawyers from the Center for Individual Rights, the University and the coalition of intervening defendants will gather to clash over the extent to which race can be used in admissions. Many believe this case will be an his- toric event, one that could be the first step in a long journey culminating in a U.S. Supreme Court decision on the fate of affirmative action in higher education. And maybe somewhat predictably, everyone is optimistic their particular argument will prevail, citing changes in the legal and social landscape that has occurred during the past three years as signals to victory. Perhaps University President Lee Bollinger described the long journey of the lawsuits best when he said that "the world certainly looks different than it did three years See TRIAL, Page 7 Case three years in making Shining through Researcher kills self, wife in townhouse By Kristen Beaumont Daily Staff Reporter Ann Arbor Police are investigating a possible murder-suicide after the bod- ies of a University researcher and his wife were found in their townhouse at Parkway Meadows on Sandalwood Circle early yesterday morning. A family member discovered the bodies of Sergei Raygorodsky, a research engineer at the University's Space Physics Research Lab, and his wife, Liana, this morning. "We believe the shootings occurred sometime between 4:30 and 5" a.m., AAPD Deputy Chief Craig Roderick said. Roderick said "the male was the perpetrator," adding that the investiga- tion is ongoing. "It's not definite, but it appears that we're dealing with a homicide-suicide" he said. "The investigation has indicated that is most likely the case, though." The couple's 8-year-old son, Misha, was staying with grandparents in Detroit, where he attends school dur- ing the week. Assistant Director of the Space Physics Research Lab at the College of Engineering Charles Edmonson issued a written statement about Raygorod- sky, who worked at the lab as an engi- neer engineer and helped manufacture space equipment. "He worked with lots and lots of people here, and he was one of the most colorful people I have ever met," the statement read. "He came See MURDER, Page 7 NOBEL, CHAT ABBY HOSENBAUM/Uaily Evening sunlight peeks through the branches of a white pine in a parking lot off Thompson Street yesterday. CCRB receives equipment money By Carrie Thomson Daily Staff Reporter The University's three recreational buildings are slated to receive a total of $116,000 worth of new equipment to r ce aging workout machines, free wvIghts and anything else near the end of its life span. The Recreational Sports Advisory Committee passed a proposal that will revamp the equipment in the Central Campus Recreation Building, North Campus Recreation Building and Intra- mural Sports Building at their meeting last Friday. " eople have been trying for d des now to get new equipment for the CCRB," said LSA senior Ryan Norfolk, MSA-appointed chair of the committee. "Historically this is some- thing that hasn't*happened in a long time." Students such as Rackham student LSA sophomore Harvard Parker shared Wu's concern. "They need it," Parker stated, "The equipment is pretty crappy right now" Other students, such as SNRE junior Sarah Nelson, were more concerned with the availability of equipment such as exercise and weight machines. "There usually aren't enough machines at peak hours," Nelson said. "It's obvious to any student who goes into any of those buildings that we need new equipment," said LSA Rep. Jessica Cash, who worked on the committee to present the proposal to the University Office of the Provost. "Almost every student uses one of those buildings, so this will be noticed immediately," she added. Several different types of equipment will be distributed among all three recreation buildings on campus depending on what each building needs. RACHEL FEIERMAN/ Daily Biology Prof. Richard Hume speaks on three winners of the Nobel Prize for the category of medicine or psychology yesterday at West Hail. Professors celebrate Nobel kno wledg By James Restivo Daily Staff Reporter When University economics Prof. Bob Willis went to Columbia Uni- versity in 1971 to fill in for a profes- sor working on his Ph.D., he knew the man he was replacing, 2000 nobel laureate Jim Heckman, was destined for greatness. "I thought he was really quite an exceptional person," Willis said. "It was very clear he was a very ambi- tious and would be incredibly suc- cessful." series by the Center for the Study of Complex Studies. Willis spoke about Heckman as well as fellow 2000 recipient Dan McFadden for their accomplish- ments in the field of economics. Willis said both men's work deals with human welfare. "We as humans have a strong interest in economics," Willis said. "Work in this field can enhance human welfare and have an impact." Heckman did extensive RACHEL FEIERMAN/Daily Central Campus Recreation Building Lockerroom Manager Robin Reeves sits behind a counter stacked with weights that will soon be replaced. "MSA presented a compelling case, and we decided to give them the fund- "It's great because we're bringing our voice to them and they're making I I