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©2003 The Michigan Daily
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Vol. CXIII, No. 119
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Letter asks
U' to open
activities to
all students
By Jeremy Berkowitz
Daily Staff R ter
A campaign against opportunities
exclusively tailored for underrepresented
minorities hit the University this week.
The Center for Equal Opportunity sent a
letter to University officials asking them
to open 12 programs and scholarships to
all students.
CEO, a conservative watchdog
group, gave the University until April
14 to file an appropriate response. If it
does not respond, the letter states, the
group will file a complaint with the
U.S. Department of Education's Office
for Civil Rights.
University spokeswoman Julie Peter-
son said the University plans to take no
action until the U.S. Supreme Court
rules on the constitutionality of its
admissions standards. The court will
hear arguments Tuesday in two lawsuits
against theUniversity and is expected to
hand down a decision later in the spring.
"Such racially and ethnically exclu-
sive programs violate Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964, which forbids
any recipient of federal money from dis-
criminating 'on the basis of race, color,
or national origin,"' the letter says.
Attorney Edward Blum, who co-
signed the letter with CEO's lawyer,
said his goal is not to close the pro-
grams, but to amend them to meet civil
rights and anti-discrimination laws.
Blum is director of legal affairs for the
American Civil Rights Institute, a simi-
lar watchdog group.
"We believe that these programs
should be made available to all students
based on merit and need and not on race
and ethnicity," Blum said.
Peterson said the letter did not come
as a surprise, considering that CEO has
implemented similar campaigns in the
past. She reiterated the University's com-
mitment to promoting diversity and said
she was not-surprisedthe lettercame one
week before the court hearings.
"It really reveals their long-term strat-
egy, which is to eventually eliminate any
program which serves to bring in a
diverse student body" Peterson said.
Among the programs CEO attacked
are the LEAD Program in Business and
the School of Information Opportunity
Scholarship. The LEAD program is a
four-week summer program offered to
high school seniors who are underrepre-
sented minorities and interested in learn-
ing about business and economics. The
Opportunity Scholarship offers need-
based aid to underrepresented minorities
enrolled in the Masters of Science in
Information Program.
Blum said such programs provide
strong evidence that, as the plaintiffs in
the lawsuits contend, the University is
irresponsible when it takes race into
account in admissions, financial aid
and other areas.
"The University of Michigan
throughout ... litigation has argued that
they can be trusted to use race in a very
discerning, light-handed way," he said.
"The discovery of these programs, in
which race is a prerequisite, proves that
the University is wedded to the idea of
race and cannot be trusted ... to nar-
rowly tailor the use of race in their
admissions policy."
After receiving a similar letter from
CEO last month, Princeton University
See LETTER, Page 3A
Troops open new
front in north Iraq
U.S. cruise missiles kill 14
civilians in Baghdad
The Associated Press
Army airborne forces parachuted into northern
Iraq yesterday, seizing an airfield for a new front
against Saddam Hussein. U.S. and British war-
planes bombed an enemy convoy fleeing the
besieged city of Basra in the south.
One week into the war, the possibility of a major
battle loomed within 100 miles of Baghdad as
another convoy -this one made up of elite Repub-
lican Guard forces - moved in the direction of
American troops aiming for Saddam's seat of
power.
Jumping from low-flying planes into the Iraqi,
night, an estimated 1,000 paratroopers landed near
an airstrip in Kurdish-controlled territory less than
30 miles from the Turkish border.
Hundreds of miles to the south, the unchallenged
bombing of Iraqi forces leaving Basra raised hopes
that ground troops could soon enter the city, feared
at risk for a humanitarian crisis.
The military developments unfolded as the first
humanitarian delivery of supplies rolled into south-
ern Iraq, greeted at the border by hungry children.
With American and British forces massing to the
south, west and now the north of Baghdad, the Iraqi
regime kept much of the news from its own people.
Instead, it emphasized a claim that two American
cruise missiles had killed 14 civilians in Baghdad
and wounded dozens more.
"This war is far from over" President Bush said
in a quick trip to the Florida headquarters of U.S.
Central Command, which is overseeing the war
Still, he said victory was only a matter of time,
adding, "There will be a day of reckoning for the
Iraqi regime, and that day is drawing near."
See IRAQ, Page 2A
Bush rallies troops in Fla.
MacDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla.
(AP) - President Bush said yesterday
the war in Iraq is far from over and the
toughest battles lie ahead as coalition
forces near Baghdad. After rallying
troops, Bush flew to Camp David for a
war council with British Prime Minis-
ter Tony Blair.
"I can assure you there will be a day
of reckoning for Iraq, and that day is
drawing near," Bush told hundreds of
cheering American troops and their
family members in a packed hangar in
Florida.
"Our military is making good
progress in Iraq, yet this war is far
from over" he said, making a last-
minute change of wording that
dropped a reference to the U.S. mili-
tary being "ahead of schedule."
White House spokesman Ari Fleis-
cher, briefing reporters on the way
here aboard Air Force One, said Bush
would tell his audience "Our progress
is ahead of schedule, yet this war is far
from over."
Bush decided to delete the "ahead of
schedule" phrase during a final review
of the speech on the plane, aides said
later.
U.S.-led troops encountered stiffen-
ing Iraqi resistance as the ground war
entered a sixth day. And American and
British casualties raised questions
about battle plans.
See BUSH, Page 2A
Students prepare to voice views
on lawsuits at Washington rallies
Takedown
By Jeremy Berkowitz
Daily StaffReporter_
When the U.S. Supreme Court hears lawyers
defend and attack the University's race-con-
scious admissions policies"
Tuesday, the nine justices SINS
may need to strain a little to
hear the arguments, due tot
noise from protests and,
demonstrations outside.
Student groups in favor of
the use of race in admis-
sions, the largest of which is
the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action and
Integration and Fight for Equality By Any
Means Necessary, will travel to Washington to
rally outside the Supreme Court building in
support of University policies. BAMN said it
plans to bring about 100,000 college and high
school students from across the country.
LSA freshman Sarah Barnard, a member of
BAMN, said she estimates about 220 students
from the University's BAMN chapter are trav-
eling to Washington with an additional 100
high school students from Ann Arbor and
Romulus. They will ride in a caravan of buses
Monday night with high school students and
residents of Detroit.
BAMN plans include a rally in front of the
court building from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m, followed
by a march to the Lincoln Memorial, where
another small rally will be held. Possible speak-
ers include the Rev. Jesse Jackson and BAMN
national organizer Shanta Driver.
"I think the majority of BAMN has put the
last few years of their lives toward defending
affirmative action," Barnard said. "We're mak-
ing a part of history."
Education senior and BAMN member Agnes
Aleobua said BAMN recently received permits
for the rallies, so they anticipate no trouble with
Washington police. She added that the rally
should not represent the end of BAMN's
activism.
"This is really going to set in motion a new
civil rights movement,"Aleobua said.
The Michigan Student Assembly allocated
$12,000 earlier this month to send 12 buses of
students. While MSA made the plans in coordi-
See WASHINGTON, Page 3A
Prof: Media face barriers in Middle East
By Min Kyung Yoon
Daily Staff Reporter
Censorship, legal prosecution and
imprisonment continue to create barriers
for much of the media in the Middle East
and Pakistan.
The media face a threat from Islamic
fundamentalists, said visiting journalism
Prof. Javed Nazir. He spoke last night in a
lecture titled "Media and Fundamentalists
in Islamic Countries."
A former editor for The Frontier Post,
an independent English-language newspa-
per in Pakistan, Nazir worked as a journal-
ist for 25 years. When the newspaper
printed a letter that contained offensive
references to the prophet of Islam, he
feared retribution by the government and
fled Pakistan.
Censorship by the government, often
run by dictators, has led to widespread
apprehension among journalists in the
region, Nazir said.
"There is this pervasive fear," he said.
"What has triggered this fear? ... Dicta-
tors and censorship."
The greatest threat for journalists in the
Middle East and Pakistan is the power of
Islamic fundamentalists, Nazir said.
"These people are extremely committed
to their cause," he added. "Their organiza-
"The Middle East
represents the world's
most closed media."
- Javed Nazir
Visiting journalism professor
tion is like the Russian Communist Party
... No obstacles.can stop them from their
cause - to serve the cause of Islam."
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf
"has stopped appearing in public. He is
scared of being assassinated by fundamen-
See MEDIA, Page 7A
WORK HARD, PLAY HARD
.athletesjuggle
By Katie Gupker
Daily StaffReporter
practice,
ciass
JASOJN COOPR/Draily
Self defense instructors Jessica Ross and Megan
Razeak teach students how to ward off attackers
at a workshop In Mary Markley Residence Hall.
Student: Attack
motivated b
anti-Semitism
By Elizabeth Anderson
Daily Staff Reporter
At a local bowling alley Monday night, a University student
was allegedly assaulted. The student, who is Jewish, said a
man he did not know punched him in the face because he was
wearing a pro-Israel T-shirt. The incident was the most recent
of several local attacks that some say have targeted Jews.
Citing examples such as the campaign to divest from Israel
and local reaction to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Jewish stu-
dents say many students confuse the policies of Israel with the
Jewish community.
Bobby Nooromid, chair of University Hillel's governing
board, said the confusion results from a lack of knowledge.
"If (students) are not up to date and informed on the issues,
a lot of the information may blend together," Nooromid, an
LSA junior, said. "There's a difference between hating the
Jewish people and disagreeing with the political actions of
the state of Israel."
Nooromid said he does not think anti-Semitism has
increased recently in connection with the war in Iraq.
"I personally haven't heard any anti-Semitic comments ...
or witnessed any (acts of) anti-Semitism on campus," he said.
"I have seen anti-Semitic literature on campus. I have wit-
nessed a number of anti-Israel materials on campus."
The student who was allegedly assaulted Monday said he
believes his attackers committed a hate crime and were moti-
vated by his T-shirt.
"I was sitting on a bench when I heard a loud noise," the
Athletes know their hard work pays
off in the final moments of the game
when last-second plays treat sports fans
to a thrilling victory. But when it's time
to crack open the books, the work of
student athletes is not as glamorous.
Many students complain about not
having enough time to study, but for the
University's about 700 student athletes,
time is even more scarce.
Engineering senior and varsity track
team member Terrence Rindler said
most students do not realize how much
time athletes devote to their sport. "I just
think about the amount of work I could
get done from 3:00 to 7:00 if I wasn't in
practice. Maybe then I wouldn't be up
Academic aids, such as study table -
a time for student athletes to work on
homework and receive tutoring - are
available to help athletes with their
schoolwork. Freshman athletes are
required to attend study table for a mini-
mum of six hours each week.
LSA freshman and varsity soccer
player Stephanie Boyles said coming to
the University was a big adjustment
from high school, and being required to
attend study table has been very helpful.
Larry Harrison, a kinesiology fresh-
man and football player, said study table
is a good place to do schoolwork. Even
in the off-season, the team practices
about three hours each weekday, he said.
Study table is only one of the ways
the athletic program teaches students the
importance of academics. LSA junior
JASON COOPER/Daily
Kinesiology Junior Amy Prichard has to divide her time between her studies and her commitment to the
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