I LOCAL/STATE The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, December 12, 2001- 3 Law School public service office honored Teen pleads guilty in Dartmouth professor murders HAVERHILL, N.H. - James Park- er pleaded guilty as an accomplice to second-degree murder of Susanne Zantop as expected Friday during a brief hearing in Grafton County Supe- rior Court, but motive remains a mys- tery. Dartmouth professors Half and Susanne Zantop were stabbed to death in their Etna home last January and Parker was initially charged with two counts of first-degree.murder. Judge Peter Smith began the hear- ing by questioning Parker to ensure that the 17-year-old understood the plea bargain and was "knowingly, intelligently, voluntarily" changing his plea to guilty of being an accomplice to second-degree murder. When Smith asked Parker if he entered the plea because he was indeed guilty, Parker answered, "Yes, sir." In return for Parker's full and truth- ful account of the murder and events leading up to it, Senior Assistant Attorney General Kelly Ayotte said that prosecutors will recommend a prison sentence of 25 years to life for Parker. Iowa State free speech zone may be extended AMES, Iowa - Campus civil rights advocates and members of the Iowa State University community have expressed their support for ISU President Gregory Geoffroy's propos- al to expand the free speech zone across campus. Currently, free speech on campus is restricted to the area just west of the Hub and the area south of the Cam- panile. The proposal would extend the current free speech zones to include all of campus. Geoffroy, who invited comments on his proposed plan in October, said he has received many suggestions from students and faculty on possible appli- cations of the new free speech zone. "People have given us a lot of good feedback." he said. "I think this gives students and the broader community more options to exercise free expres- sion." Herman Quirmbach, adviser for the ISU chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said he feels the pro- posal is an important step in making all of Iowa State a free speech zone. "I think the proposal is a very wel- comed step forward," said Quirmbach, associate professor of economics. "I'm very pleased the president took the initiative to open this issue up for discussion." Tom Emmerson, professor of jour- nalism and mass communication, said the whole campus should be open to free speech. "I think the whole country is a free speech zone," he said. "Therefore, the whole-campus should be a free speech zone."~ U. Wisconsin defers graduation test decision MADISON, Wis - The Universi- ty of Wisconsin System Board of Regents deferred a plan to require all students entering the UW System to take a high school graduation test for admittance. Citing time restrictions and falling behind schedule, the regents decided not to enforce the graduation test dur- ing its scheduled September 2003 debut. For now, the board's decision makes it easier for students to avoid the test, which critics have claimed is biased against students with learning disabil- ities, returning adult students and schools that develop their own tests. Currently, students can opt out of the graduation test. However, by requiring students to take the test before entering the UW System, some parents and school officials have claimed the test would be virtually unavoidable. UW System spokesman Kevin Boa- tright said the board set no new date for deciding on the issue. - Complied by Daily Staff Reporter Lizzie Ehrle. By Daniel Kim Daily StaffReporter University Law School alum and public interest lawyer Steve Tobocman is a testimony to the school's dedication to public interest law. The Law School recently received the annual 2001 Judy M. Weightman Memorial Award from the American Bar Association in recognition of having one of the best public service programs in the nation. Tobocman said the University Law School played an instrumental role in helping him pursue public interest law. "There is a significant amount of unmet legal needs for low income and poor," he said. "Those folks don't have access to our legal system because they can't afford to have attorneys." For example, Tobocman said, there are roughly 40,000 people every year who go through the Landlord Tenant Court in Detroit. But today's legal system can support only a few thousand. "So there are literally tens of thousands who don't receive the adequate legal assistance. Every- day in my office, we are not able to meet all the need because we don't have enough attorneys," said Tobocman, who serves as the director of the Community Legal Resources, which is part of the Michigan Legal Services, an independent, non- profit agency thatoffers legal assistance to low- income and disadvantaged populations in the Detroit area. "It's so easy to get a job at a top firm that pays an incredible amount of money," because non-profit legal service positions usually have a starting salary of around $28,000, not enough to pay off school debts, Tobocman said. Many law school graduates can face up to $80,000 of debt upon graduation. To assist law students in the predicament of hav- ing to choose between their passion for public interest law and the need to pay off the debts, the Law School offers the Debt Management/Loan Forgiveness Program. The program assists law graduates with loan repayment so they may accept lower payingjobs without feeling overwhelmed by their debt. "There is a tremendous need for lawyers to enter public service, particularly at the time like this after the terrorist attack. Cities need lawyers to help reconstruct and rebuild the city ... and we need lawyers to defend immigrants who may be unfairly charged with terrorist crimes," said Prof. Robert Precht, the head of the University Law School's Office of Public Service. Through its numerous clinical programs, the Office of Public Interest allows students to work closely with community economics issues, child advocacy and impact litigation. Students also have the opportunity to work abroard in South Africa or Cambodia or in government agencies across the country. "Extensive clinical programs where students are trained by faculty to practice in public interest law, pro-bono programs where students can contribute to non-profit organizations in Ann Arbor and Detroit and the very active career advising pro- grams that help them get jobs in public interest sec- tor" are the essential elements that make the University of Michigan's Law School one of the best in the nation, Precht said. "I am very proud and I am most happy for our students whose dedication to public service inspires me," he said. Fishy finals fun MSA approves funding for later hours at CCRB By Kara Wenzel Daily Staff Reporter Architecture senior Matt Robbins and freshman Peter Moerland, their candy canes. EMMA FOSDICK/Daily study with their fish, A. Alfred Taubfish, while enjoying Student speaker to address graduates at winter ceremony The Michigan Student Assembly last night approved funding to keep the Central Campus Recreation Building open until 1:30 a.m. on Sunday and Mondays during the months of January and February. "Students don't operate on a nine- to-five basis," said Matt Nolan, MSA president and student member of the RecSports Advisory Committee. "We've heard from students consis- tently over the years that they want to be able to exercise later at night." The assembly will use $4,368 from one of its general funds for the pro- ject. Nolan said this will amount to 11 cents per student. "If usership patterns increase we can take that to RecSports and make a case for having the hours changed on an extended basis," Nolan said. "I think this is something students would want to see their money go for." Also concerning students is the fall break proposal, which was signed by interim Provost Lisa Tedesco. Tedesco will present the proposal at tomorrow's University Board of Regents meeting. Nolan encourages students to gath- er in the MSA chambers, 3909 Michigan Union, at 1 p.m. tomorrow before attending the regents meeting to demonstrate student support for a fall break. Also at last night's meeting, the assembly passed a resolution in opposition to changes to the bylaws of the Board in Control of Intercolle- giate Athletics. Student General Counsel John Carter said students and faculty feel the change is being pushed through at the end of University President Lee Bollinger's tenure without out- side input or explanation and stu- dents need to be aware of the changes that could occur if the Board is renamed an advisory committee. "Bollinger's current plan to rename it as an advisory board decreases the influence of students, faculty and staff on the athletic department," Carter said. The assembly also passed resolu- tions in support of increased child care services for students and striv- ing for a sustainable university. "The child care resolution asks for the University to build a new licensed child care facility for infants, a teen center, and after hours child care for graduate students, fac- ulty and staff," Rackham Rep. Suzanne Perkins-Hart said. Perkins-Hart said the University currently has only four day care cen- ters near campus serving about 200 children and none provide infant care. "The demand for child care is greater than what the University pro- vides by far," Perkins-Hart said. The second resplution, for a sus- tainable university, asks the adminis- tration to analyze and pursue ways of making students more ecologically conscious and facilities more envi- ronmentally friendly. "This resolution is trying to get the University to become more ecologi- cally responsible," Environmental Issues Commission co-chair Tim Reynolds said. LSA Rep. Rob Goodspeed, former co-chair of the Student Rights Com- mission, resigned his seat on the assembly last night citing that he believes he can better serve student interests outside MSA. Goodspeed said he plans "to continue to attend student rights committee meetings." By Christopher Johnson Daily Staff Reporter Stephanie Dionne, who will graduate with a bachelor's of science degree in microbiology, will give the student address at the University's winter commencement ceremony. Dionne said she wanted to speak at the event to inspire the 2,000 students expecting their degrees."It's actually something I wanted to do for a while," she said. "The chance to speak to so many people was daunting but exciting." Winter commencement will begin at 2 p.m. Sunday at Crisler Arena. English Prof. Charles Baxter, a short story writer and novelist, will be the main commencement speaker. In her commencement speech, Dionne plans to urge her fel- low graduates to remember the aspirations that compelled them to enroll in the University. Dionne has participated in many activities and organiza- tions during her student career. Since she first enrolled at the University, Dionne has taken part in the women's synchro- nized swimming club team, which she now coaches. She is president of the Golden Key International Honor Society, a community service organization of juniors and seniors in the top 15 percent of their classes. Dionne is also executive producer of the V-Day College Campaign, which raises money to end violence against women by staging volunteer productions of the Vagina Mono- logues. The organization plans to raise $40,000 this year. Before enrolling at the University, Dionne studied at Chatham College in Pittsburgh, Pa. She said she transferred to Michigan for the incredible academic possibilities that the school offers. Dionne said that the undergraduate program here had the "most diverse opportunities and the most diverse community" she could find. After graduation, Dionne plans to apply to graduate school and then become a clinical research scientist in women's health issues. The Student Speaker Selection Committee selected Dionne not only for her outstanding student career but also for the variety of her activities. The members felt that her many accomplishments corresponded to the many possibilities at the University. "We found she reflected qualities that Michigan had uniquely as a University," said LSA sophomore Natalie Raaber, a member of the selection board. Taubman resigns as chairman of family development firm DETROIT (AP) - Taubman Cen- ters Inc. Chairman A. Alfred Taub- man is giving up leadership of the company he founded, less than a week after he was convicted in a price-fixing scheme during his tenure at Sotheby's auction house. Taubman's son Robert Taubman, the shopping mall developer's presi- dent and CEO, will take over as chairman. In a news release yesterday, A. Alfred Taubman, 76, a major Univer- sity donor and the namesake of the College of Architecture and Urban Planning, said he believed that step- ping down was the right thing to do. "I have great confidence in the company's continuing success," he said. A federal jury on Dec. 5 found Taubman guilty of conspiring with former 'Christie's Chairman Anthony Tennant in a scam that stole as much as $400 million in commissions from sellers from 1993 to 1999. Taubman has denied involvement in the scheme. He faces up to three years in prison for conspiracy to violate antitrust laws. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 2. Michael Bernacchi, marketing professor at the University of Detroit-Mercy, said Taubman's resig- nation was expected. "Frankly, I don't think he has any choice, and I'm a little surprised per- haps it didn't happen earlier," Bernacchi said. "But perhaps he thought it was better ... to let every- thing run its course." Customers who turn their artworks over to Sotheby's or Christie's for auction have to pay a commission on the sale price. The Justice Depart- ment said the two men illegally col- luded on how much to charge, depriving the sellers of the opportu- nity to bargain for a lower price. The two auction houses control more than 90 percent of the world's art auctions. Tennant was chairman at Christie's from 1993 to 1996. THE CALENDAR What's happening in Ann Arbor today EVENTS "The Role of Accultura- tion In Latino Health- Related Behaviors"; p.m., Hussey Room, Michigan League "Virus Dynamics"; 3:10 - 4:00 p.m., Sponsored by the University * Flaming Menorah Hanukkah Party; Gay Jews and their friends get together to celebrate SERVICES Campus Information Centers, 764-INFO, info@umich.edu, or www.umich.edu/-info S.A.F.E. Walk, 763-WALK, I FI i