LOCAL/STATE

The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, February 19, 2003 - 3

THIS WEEK
F e& e
Five years ago...
University President Lee Bollinger
and Vice President for Student Affairs
Maureen Hartford hosted the first-ever
presidential fireside chat with Michigan
Student Assembly representatives and
randomly selected students. They dis-
cussed numerous issues, including
North Campus development and the
lawsuits regarding the University's race-
conscious admissions policies.
Ten years ago...
The University decided to maintain
Fletcher Residence Hall's status as a
student residence hall. Originally, the
University pondered the idea of giving
the building to the athletic department,
which wanted to develop it into a
, resource center for student athletes.
Feb. 18, 1958
The Residence Hall Board of Gover-
nors announced it would soon conduct a
study of residence hall integration. The
announcement resulted from students'
complaints that administrators inten-
tionally segregated students of different
races and ethnic backgrounds in resi-
dence halls.
* Feb. 23, 1956
At a Student Government Council
meeting, Panhellenic Council Presi-
dent Debbie Townsend asserted that
no campus sororities maintained bias
clauses in their bylaws regarding race
or creed.
Feb. 19, 1965
After Gov. George Romney
announced the state would not pro-
vide money for the University's Flint
campus until legislators designed a
Flint expansion plan, President Har-
lan Hatcher declared the campus
would still have a freshman class the
next fall.
In response, Romney threatened to
withhold more appropriations from
the University if Hatcher defied his
orders.
Feb. 16, 1968
The history department announced
Prof. William Freehling would teach the
first-ever black history class in Septem-
ber 1968, University officials said. The
class would encompass black history in
the United States from 1607 to the pres-
ent. Previously, the department had also
incorporated black history into other
classes.
Feb. 19, 1972
The University Board of Regents
rejected 7-1 a Senate Assembly pro-
posal for new classified research
restrictions, with Regent Gertrude
Huebner (R-Bloomfield Hills) dis-
senting. Faculty desired new laws
requiring the University not to
engage in grants which restricted
open publication of research one year
after completion.
Feb. 20, 1976
The Graduate Employees Organi-
zation voted to join the Michigan
Federation of Teachers/American
Federation of Teachers.
GEO members said their new
affiliation with MFT/AFT would
enable them to gain expertise in col-
lective bargaining and legal aid.

Feb. 16, 1984
At a U.S. foreign policy confer-
ence, six University professors criti-
cized President Ronald Reagan's
aggressive rhetoric toward other
countries. One professor described
Reagan as speaking loudly while
carrying a small stick.
* Feb. 20, 1981
A bomb scare briefly interrupted a
Board of Regents meeting. Also at the
meeting, 100 students protested Uni-
versity investments in defense indus-
tries and cuts to the Department of
Recreational Sports.
Feb. 20, 1949
Due to numerous student com-
plaints regarding professors' tough
attendance policies, the University
announced it would look into a new
definite class attendance policy.
Feb. 20, 1936
Four University students riding a
toboggan in the Arboretum crashed
into a tree.
One woman fractured her skull,
another woman lacerated her scalp
and the other two students suffered
no injuries.


En frangais

Security complicates
Spring Break travel

By Carmen Johnson
Daily Staff Reporter
Students planning an escape from reality next
week may not escape the implications of the
recent heightening of national security against
terrorist attacks.
The U.S. State Department issued a warning two
weeks ago cautioning travelers to "remain vigilant
due to heightened threat of terrorist attacks."
International students traveling overseas for
break - some of whom may require a new visa
stamp before their return -,may experience
delays flying back to the United States.
Last week, an informational forum was
held for international students and scholars
regarding recent changes to immigration and
visa regulations.
"Some students may have to go through spe-
cial registration when they enter back into the
United States," International Center Assistant
Director Louise Baldwin said. "They may be
fingerprinted, have their picture taken and have
to report back to immigration services 30 or 40
days after."
Recent University graduate Wajahat Syed, a
Pakistani citizen, said he feels landlocked in
the United States. He does not want to leave
the country for fear of not being allowed to
return."The problem is that the rules are liquid.
I went to the (Immigration and Naturalization
Services) and two people said two different
things on whether I could even travel to Canada
or not," Syed said. "Every foreigner has a dif-
ferent status, it's confusing."
Immigration officers will also be paying close
attention to students studying science or engineer-

"The problem is that the
rules are liquid.... Every
foreigner has a different
status, it's confusing.
- Wajahat Syed
University alum
ing, which they consider as sensitive fields of study.
"Students studying subjects like nuclear engi-
neering are on a state technology alert lists and stu-
dents may be furthered questioned," Baldwin said.
John Godfrey, Rackham assistant dean of inter-
national education, said graduate students study-
ing subjects with possible military applications
would experience additional background checks.
During Winter Break, some graduate students
experienced problems coming back into the Unit-
ed States, Godfrey said.
"Five students were held up for weeks in
China because their visas needed to be
renewed. This makes the admissions process
a lot longer too if they are trying to get a
visa," he said.
While foreign students are especially vul-
nerable, the State Department warning urged
everyone to be wary if they leave the country.
"American citizens, anyone traveling
should just be careful and prudent about
where they go. It's important to stay informed
on what's going on in that country as well,"
Godfrey added.

LESLIE WARD, Special to the Daily
Five-year-old Sophie Girard and her mother Janine Girard were two out of 3,000
protesters at an anti-war rally in Aix-en-Provence, France this weekend.

BRIEFS
Continued from Page 1.
while the Law School's policy gives
increased weight to candidates of differ-
ent racial backgrounds in an attempt to
create a significant minority population.
"Minority enrollment depends on a
variety of things," Krislov said. "We've
been very clear that we don't have a
quota."
But Curt Levey, spokesman for the
Center for Individual Rights, a Washing-
ton-based law firm representing the
plaintiffs in both cases, said CIR's statis-
tical analysis proves the Law School
accepts minority students with grade
point averages 1.2 points less than white
students.
Krislov said that while several black
students with lower grades and test
scores than plaintiff Barbara Grutter
were accepted, many white students dis-
playing special talents or diverse charac-
teristics have also been accepted ahead
of more academically-qualified students.
Levey said less qualified white stu-
dents are accepted occasionally, but the
Law School automatically accepts
minority students. The racial composi-
tion of classes admitted to the Law
School has held constant at around 13
percent in recent years, he said. "Race is
the one factor that allows you to system-
atically get in," Levey said. "If it sounds
like a quota, it is a quota."
Many qualified minorities are rejected
CIR: bnf
makes poor
arguments
GRANHOLM
Continued from Page 1
to the University by the U.S. Consti-
tution."
But Curt Levey, spokesman for the
Center for Individual Rights, a Washing-
ton-based law firm representing the
plaintiffs in the lawsuits, said the gover-
nor's brief is irrelevant because the
Supreme Court can overrule state courts.
"It is shocking that she does not
know that federal law takes prece-
dence over Michigan's constitution,"
Levey said.
The issue of whether academic
freedom is grounded in the First
Amendment is complicated, Wayne
State University Law Prof. Robert
Sedler said.
"The problem with that kind of
reasoning is that race-based classi-
fications are subject to strict scruti-
ny," he said. "They are normally not
given deference, but the claim is
that this interest is protected under
the First Amendment."
In addition to Granholm, an esti-
mated 300 other national organiza-
tions and corporations are expected
to file briefs by the end of today.
This total includes 23 other states,
University spokeswoman Julie
Peterson said.
Granholm filed in support of the
University in 2001, when the cases
were before the 6th Circuit Court of

every year, Krislov said, but the racial
composition of each class is similar
because the pool of applicants rarely
changes dramatically. Stanford Universi-
ty Law Prof. Paul Brest said the key
issue in the Law School case is "whether
they are aiming for 13 percent and just
disguising it." He said the evidence each
side presents will have an impact on the
decision of Justice Sandra Day O'Con-
nor, who many legal experts consider to
be the swing vote in the cases.
Although the LSA policy considers
numerous factors, race is the only one
for which the University is targeting a set
number of applicants, Levey said. "They
clearly have a figure in mind," he said.
"They're not going to consider their poli-
cies a failure if they don't have a critical
mass of cellists."
Brest said the court may overturn the
LSA policy because it allocates a specif-
ic value to racial composition. "The
clearer you are that you're taking race
into account ... the more of a problem it
is under the Constitution," he said.He
added that O'Connor has voiced such an
opinion.
Regarding whether the University
places too much weight on race, Krislov
said the justices need to allow "some
deference to the academic institution's
judgment." The Law School brief also
addresses the special attention given to
black, Hispanic and Native American
students by saying certain experiences
are unique to these groups.


STUDENTS WITH
CROHN'S DISEASE
OR
ULCERATIVE COLITIS
Please join
Dr. Ellen Zimmermann
Associate Professor of
Gastroenterology,
U of M
For an informal
discussion of
topics including:
eNutritioi
*New Therapies
*Latest Research
Next meeting will be:
-- U i n 1 n

m