LOCAL/STATE
The Michigan Daily - Friday, January 10, 2003 - 3
CAMP US
I
'U'
Prof. accuses
groups
'U'
Poet to discuss
recovery from
kidney failure
Poet Sekou Sundiata will hold a dis-
cussion titled "Understanding the
Patient Experience through the Arts:
Kidney Disease and Transplantation"
Monday at 4 p.m. in the Hussey Room
of the Michigan League. He will dis-
cuss his recovery from kidney failure, a
kidney transplant and a serious car
accident.
Speaker to talk
about sustainable
development
Renowned speaker and economic
philosopher Frithjof Bergmann will give
a speech titled, "The Next (Possible)
Revolution in the Not-Developing
World" Monday at 7 p.m. at the Ypsilan-
ti District Library on 5577 Whittaker
Rd. His talk will focus on his experi-
ences working with the South African
government, where he developed a new
approach to economic development.
Anime films to be
shown at The
*Underworld
There will be free showings of fea-
ture-length Japanese anime DVDs
Tuesdays at 9 p.m. at The Underworld.
Films are to be chosen by the audience.
The Underworld is located at 1202
South University Aven. No one will be
admitted after 9:30 p.m.
Film based on
Dickens novel to
commence run
"Nicholas Nickleby" will start its
run Tuesday at the Michigan Theatre.
Based on the Dickens novel, it is the
story of a destitute boy who makes his
way in the world despite considerable
hardships. The 2002 movie is written
by Douglas McGrath and stars Jim
Broadbent and Christopher Plummer.
Documentary on
homeless hosted
at District Library
The Ann Arbor District Library will
hOst ashdwing of the documentary
"Listen" Wednesday at 7 p.m. It fea-
tures interviews with more than 20
. homekess people who live in Ann
Arbor. The film, created by Residential
College seniors Eliha Wolfe and John
Mathias, will be followed by a panel
discussion with City Councilwoman
Jean Carlberg, Interfaith Hospitality
Network's Alpha House homeless shel-
ter executive director Sarah Stanton,
Dawn Farm social worker Charles
Coleman and a homeless person pro-
filed in the video.
Renowned story
teller to present at
Media Union
Storyteller Jay O'Callahan will
give a free presentation Thursday at
5 p.m. in the Media Union Video
Studio on North Campus. O'Calla-
han has been called "a theater
troupe inside one body" by The
Associated Press.
Roots of Hebrew
to be discussed
The formation of the Israeli lan-
guage will be the focus of a lecture on
Central Campus today. Ghil'ad Zuck-
erman, a candidate for a position in
modern Hebrew language, literature
and culture, will present his lecture,
titled, "The Emergence of the Israeli
Language: Revival, Relexification or
Hybridization?" The event will be at 4
p.m. in room 2065 of the Frieze Build-
ing.
Composers perform
on North Campus
A free performance of works by
composers Aaron Copland and Claude
Debussy, among others, will take place
at 8 p.m. on North Campus. Clarinetist
Fred Ormand and pianist Martin Katz
will perform at the Britton Recital Hall
in the Earl V Moore Music Building.
Swing dancing
lessons offered
Learn how to swing dance tonight at
a free workshop at Pierpont Commons.
After learning the basics from the Lab
Ensemble from 9 to 10 p.m., partici-
pants will then dance to music played
by a swing band made up of students
from the Jazz Studies Program within
the School of Music. The event will
take place at Leonardo's.
compete to
keep, gain
office s pace
By Maria Sprow
Daily StaffReporter
Two years have passed since student groups attacked the
University's office space allocation to Michigamua, the
secret society that was attacked for their stereotypical por-
trayal of Native American culture.
The controversy caused the University to revise its poli-
cies for allocating space to student organizations. The Uni-
versity chose to expand the reapplication process used by
the Office Space Allocation Committee for spots in the
Michigan Union to spaces in other buildings as well.
As a result, this year is the first in which student groups
located in the Michigan League, Pierpont Commons and the
William Monroe Trotter House must apply to keep their
spaces under the new guidelines, which state student organi-
zations housed in those locations must reapply for the use of
their space every two years.
This may bode well for student organizations that current-
ly do not have regular access to University-owned space but
are looking forward to receiving some.
It also means groups that have space --.
now may lose it in the near future. JI1C(
"I think it is the right thing to do," Alo
said Bob Yecke, the director of the
Michigan League, which has four
spaces available for student organiza-
tions. "We've got 900 registered stu- Aod
dent organizations and less than 100 >A ttn dpi
offices available (across campus). I March 10.
think we should review these spaces on
a regular basis." *Appe deadl
The OSAC guidelines stipulate stu-
dent organizations wishing to keep ; 0 Final a locatin
their spaces must remain a vital part of
the campus and use the office space I Move-cut: Aug
efficiently and effectively, said Law stu-
dent and Michigan Student Assembly
Student General Counsel Joe Bernstein, a former OSAC
committee member.
"They have to stay relevant. That would be the biggest
advice - keep doing stuff so that you are an active organi-
zation. If you are not visible on campus, that's a huge prob-
lem," Bernstein said. "The other thing is to actually use the
space. Once you have an office, go there. Put your stuff in
there. Be actively visible not just on campus, but in the
Union too, so that OSAC can see not that you want the
space, but that you actually need it," he said.
Bernstein added that in the past, the reapplication process
has not affectedthe imjority of student gro us, o 'that 80
percent generally receive offices again.
Offices used by student groups that experience a decline
in their membership or a drop in activities throughout the
year may have to pack their bags.
"It's a tough decision to make," Bernstein said. "If some-
BRENDAN O'DONNELL/Daily
The Michigan Review has occupied its space in the
Michigan League since 1982.
body is using their space a little bit, but if somebody else
might use it better, than give them a shot."
Though most students agree that new guidelines are nec-
essary to keep out-of-date organizations from taking up
valuable office space, students are divided on whether the
new policy will have the right effect on student organiza-
tions.
"I definitely think that the policy is needed to prevent.
another situation like Michigamua from occuring again,"
MSA President Sarah Boot said. "It's important. It gives the
administration the chance to assess the evolution of an
organization and ensure that it still falls
in line with its initial goals."
Pacs Michigan Review Editor in Chief
ton James Justin Wilson - whose organi-
zation has occupied its office located in
the League since 1982 - said he
n agrees with Yecke that office space
ine: Jan. 31 allocation should be regularly reviewed
i announced: but added he believes the University's
current policy is unfair to certain organ-
izations.
,: arch 14 The adopted policy provides exemp-
tions for groups that have been given
decisions: April 2 departmental status by the Regents and
have received student fees or depart-
mental funds.
The policy also exempts organiza-
tions that are an elected governing body
or a campus news media outlet that provides students a
forum with which to speak, as well as groups that have spe-
cial responsibilities that correspond to the needs of the cam-
pus community.
Wilson said the policy lists examples of those groups -
such as the University Activities Center that houses the
Michigan Every Three Weekly, as well as The Michigan
Daily, WCBN and WOLV-TV - but never gave a clear list.
He said he believes that not including The Review in that
list and putting its office space up for grabs is potentially
damaging to the publication.
"Thereis defsiiitely a double standard:We serve the same
purpose as any other campus media organization, and at the
same time we are being treated by a different standard," Wil-
son said. "It seems irresponsible to put our space on the
shopping block before determining which category we
belong to."
By Jeremy Berkowitz
Daily Staff Reporter
Only eight months after it became the
first higher educational facility in
Michigan to fall victim to a sexual
harassment and discrimination verdict,
the University will soon go to court
again to defend itself against more accu-
sations of discrimination.
English and American culture Prof.
Betty Bell, a faculty member since
1993, is suing the University as well as
English Prof. Lincoln Faller and English
and American culture Prof. Alan Wald
on counts of race discrimination, gender
discrimination, sexual harassment and
intentional infliction of emotional dis-
tress. She is asking for $25,000 in dam-
ages and compensation.
In a brief written by Bell's attorney,
Christine Green, Bell claims her trou-
bles started in 1994 when she was asked
to establish the Native American Studies
Program. She said she was responsible
for developing and teaching most of the
new classes - in addition to fulfilling
other requirements - as an assistant
professor without any assistance or addi-
tional compensation. She said this
caused a delay in filing her application
for tenure as well as emotional distress,
which caused her to take a medical leave
of absence.
"Plaintiff's responsibilities in that
regard were far in excess of those
imposed upon other assistant profes-
sors," Green wrote in the brief. "Further-
more, (she) earned approximately
$11,500 less annually than Prof. Tomas
Almaguer, the Director of Latina/o
Studies, who, unlike (her), had the assis-
tance of numerous untenured and
tenured faculty."
But University spokeswoman Julie
Peterson said during Bell's tenure as an
assistant professor, she had one of the
highest salaries of her rank in both
departments.
"Professor Bell has been supported
by the University throughout her
career, including the granting of
tenure over a year ago," Peterson said.
"Professors Faller and Wald ... have
supported her requests for additional
leaves and research assistance beyond
that typically afforded faculty in those
departments."
But Bell said while the University
sponsored the teaching of Native Ameri-
an literature, it helped to perpetuate a
"marginalized environment" regarding
various forms of ethnic literature,
including Native American.
"(Faller) excluded Native American
Literatures from the External Ethnic Lit-
erature Reviews: (Bell) advocated the
inclusion of Native American literature
within the Department's reviews of its
ethnic literatures, and was retaliated
against for having done so, by among
other things, being given a minimum
raise in the same year she won the
Amoco teaching award," the brief said.
But Wald countered in a written state-
ment that the University has come a
long way in promoting diversity and the
under-representation of course offerings
in various fields including Native Amer-
of discrimination
"Professor Bell has
been supported by
the University
throughout her
career, including
the granting of
tenure over a year
ago "
- Julie Peterson
University Spokeswoman
ican studies, Asian/Pacific American
studies and Latino/a studies.
"There are now tenured directors with
long-term commitments in each of these
three ethnic studies programs; when I
assumed office there was only one,"
Wald said, adding that the number of
faculty in each of these programs has
grown significantly.
Bell also claims she was the victim of
sexual harassment and an uncomfortable
environment perpetuated by both Faller
and Wald. In the brief, there are several
references to alleged remarks made by
Faller insulting Native Americans.
"After reading (her) novel about three
generations of Cherokee women, in
which a girl is raped by her stepfather,
Prof Faller joked, 'Don't all Cherokee
-- their fathers?' the brief said.
In other alleged instances, after offer-
ing alcohol to Bell, which she refused,
Faller asked, "What kind of Indian are
you?"
Faller said he is disappointed about
the lawsuit because he said all of the
complaints are false.
"Any allegation she makes about my
supposed behavior is not true," Faller
said. "I'm confident that if this goes to
trial, this will be demonstrated."
In addition, complaints were made
against Wald, who Bell said she had a
personal and sexual relationship with
from September 1993 to February 1994
and then again in 1997. Bell said there
have been numerous times where Wald
insulted her to her face and gossiped to
other faculty members about her. Bell
said these actions have strongly affected
her career.
"The Plaintiff has sustained injuries,
including loss of earnings and earning
capacity, loss of career opportunities
(and) loss of reputation in the academic
community," the brief said.
Wald said he was also very disturbed
by the lawsuit. He acknowledges he had
a very close friendship with Bell, and
has supported her during her career. He
said her accusations against him are
"without foundation and fact."
"This is someone who has made an
important contribution to American cul-
ture," Wald said. "I supported her before
tenure, I supported her during tenure
and I supported her after tenure....
She's attacking people who were close
friends."
Charter school operator has
secret to financial success
GRAND RAPIDS (AP) - Critics say a for-profit charter gan has 24 of the sc
school operator has a surefire moneymaking formula - open York and Ohio.
schools catering to low-cost students and let public systems "Superintende
keep the rest. never enough m
While the nation's largest school management company, Huizenga told th
Edison Schools Inc., is struggling to stay in business, Grand day.
Rapids-based National Heritage Academies Inc. is doing well Michigan pays a
financially. - to charter and
National Heritage says it simply has applied business prac- costs vary widely a
tices in operating its 32 schools with 17,000 students. Michi- cation and low-inc
Architecture school
is part of redesignin
of Detroit downtown
chools, with the rest in North Carolina, New
ants work under the premise that there's
oney," National Heritage founder J.C.
e Detroit Free Press for a story yester-
a fixed amount per student - about $6,700
traditional public schools. But education
and are higher for upper grades, special edu-
ome students.
APRIAN'S
Anti-War
Bumper stickers
By Christopher Anderson
For the Daily
The Taubman College of Archi-
tecture and Urban Planning will
once again have a say in the future
appearance of Detroit. The Detroit
Design Charrette 2003 begins today
and culminates in a reception, exhi-
bition and presentation on Jan. 13.
A charrette is a series of inten-
sive workshops that give University
faculty and graduate students a
chance to work with nationally
renowned and local design experts
to produce solutions to urban prob-
lems.
About 80 students, faculty and
industry professionals will be in
attendance.
Taubman Dean Douglas Kel-
baugh said that the main goal is "to
provide four compelling visions for
the development for new neighbor-
hoods along a one-mile stretch of
the Detroit River."
This year's charrette, titled
"Reflecting the Riverfront," will be
guest will co-lead one of four
teams with a faculty member from
the college and a design profes-
sional selected from a local design
firm or institution.
There will be five teams partici-
pating in this year's charrette -
four design teams and one real
estate development team.
Each team consists of a distin-
guished visitor, a local profession-
al, a local design professional, a
faculty member from the college of
Architecture and Urban Planning
and students from the Schools of
Natural Resources and Environ-
ment and Art and Design.
For the first time, students from
the University's Business and Law
schools and Rackham will be
attending the charrette.
University faculty members lead
follow-up studios to develop the
general concepts and specific
downtown building projects in
greater detail. The charrettes and
the studio work conclude with the
publication of a book during the
5for $5 plus $1 postage SenachecKSto:
Adrians 1002 Pontiac Tr,Ann Arbor,MI 48105