2B - The Michigan Daily - Special Graduation Section - Tuesday, April 15, 2003
NEWS
Fiscal ties
to Israel
divide
students
By Jacquelyn Nixon
and Karen Schwartz
Oct. 8, 2002
Student leaders on campus will be
hosting a conferencenthis week calling
for the University to end its economic
investments in Israel, a request which
the University says it will not fulfill.
For supporters of divestment,
like LSA senior and Students
Allied for Freedom and Equality
member Eric Reichenberger,
divestment is an issue of ethics that
will end the suppression of Pales-
tinian rights in Israel, specifically
in the occupied territories.
"Divestment is a movement based
on moral concerns arising from the
oppression of the Palestinian people
at the hands of the State of Israel,"
Reichenberger said.
"It is the only way effective pres-
sure can be placed on the Israeli gov-
ernment to convince it to discontinue
its illegal occupation of the West
Bank and Gaza Strip," he added.
The University only has a small
percentage of its investments in
companies tied to Israel, University
spokeswoman Julie Peterson said.
"Out of our $3.4 billion investment
portfolio, we have stock in only two
companies directly located in Israel
with a value of about $500,000. It is
impossible for the University to
report investments in all companies
that may have business in Israel or
some other indirect connection,"
Peterson said.
Yulia Dernovsky, an opponent of
divestment and member of the Ameri-
can Movement for Israel, said the
movement to withdraw University
investment in the region is harmful to
Israel's development.
"It is in the interest of the Universi-
ty to stand against divestment
because divestment is directed against
the only democratic state in the Mid-
dle East," Dernovsky said.
While many students are divided over
the issue of the University's economic
involvement in the region, University
President Mary Sue Coleman said in an
e-mail to the University community last
month that'the administration has no
intention of divesting from its economic
interests in Israel.
"As amtter of University policy,
we do not believe political interests
should govern our investment deci-
sions," Coleman wrote.
Scandal put to rest
U loses third top
executive, highest
paid employee
I
I
By Nick Bunkley
Dec. 17, 2001
The University is losing another top
executive with an announcement
today that Gil Omenn, the highest-
- paid employee on campus and first
person to serve as vice president for
medical affairs, is stepping down next
summer to become a faculty member.
Omenn, whose salary of $556,000
in 2000 was the most of any public-
sector employee in the statewill
Hid take a years leave "to delve more
deeply into life sciences develop-
bment and science and health policy
issues,"rhesaid, in a written state-
ment released by the University
°.= k} vHealhSystem.
TT fr .U .s.b. departure follows that of
ietLee Blinewho wllend
asndtdbytefdr gvrmnfr aleel prtiga lea gmln ig id.ent commitees re curwitl y
his four-year tenureplater this month
> to become chief executive at Colum-
bia University, and Provost Nancy
Cantor, who is now chancellor of the
'IEhOT/al University of Illinois campus in
The late Ed Martin leaves federal court in Detroit on Thursday, March 21, 2002. The former University basketball booster Urachaomignee
was indicted by the federal government for allegedly operating an illegal gambling ring. Saccm ite are currently
seeking permanent replacements for
Pro testers ralyaginstle etoral
College, emand re-voein Fa
Bollinger and Cantor, and the Uni-
versity must now form another panel
to search for Omenn's successor.
"Gil has brought great leadership
and direction to so many areas of
medical education and research -
most notably his commitment to the
Life Sciences and creation of the
Biological Sci-
ences Scholars
Program, hMed-
ical School Dean
Allen Lichter
said inntoday's
statement.
"His strong
support of philan-
thropy has helped
us realize our
Omenn goals in educa-
tional innovations
recruit the best faculty, students and
researchers and build new facilities."
Omenn became the University's
first vice president for medical
affairs, overseeing University Hos-
pitals and the School of Medicine,
as part of Bollinger's new adminis-
tration in 1997.
By Jacquelyn Nixon
and Karen Schwartz
Nov. 13, 2000
Few cars passed the Ann Arbor Federal
Building on Saturday afternoon without honk-
ing or at least pausing to watch University and
Ann Arbor community members march down
Liberty and Main streets in protest of the Elec-
toral College.
"They'd drive by and toot and wave, or give a
thumbs up," LSA freshman Rachel Fisher said. "A
few people yelled 'go Bush/Cheney' out their win-
dows, but most people honked in support of us."
In response to the recount of votes in Florida,
about 60 people gathered and held up signs that
urged action and asked drivers to honk in sup-
port of a re-vote.
Fisher said she came to the rally to show her sup-
port for Vice President Al Gore and the recount.
She said the recount was essential to ensure
the next president will be the one who won the
popular vote and because of the confusion over
the ballot in Palm Beach County, Fla.
"These people did not vote for Buchanan. The
votes should go to who they were intended for"
Fisher said. "What we saw from the popular vote is
that Gore is definitely what the people want."
Ann Arbor resident Penny Ryder was
approaching her car when she heard the rally
participants chanting "the will of the people"
and "every vote counts."
After hearing the protesters, Ryder chose to
join the group.
"I agreed with their cause, so I decided to
stay," Ryder said. "I believe that our country is
apathetic in terms of voting."
Ryder said the United States should maintain
effective election processes."We monitor the
voting systems in other countries, and then we
turn around and have an election that has ques-
tions," she said.
Some rally participants received an e-mail about
the event and were informed of similar rallies tak-
ing place simultaneously across the nation.
Concerned Ann Arbor resident Miriam Rozian
said the Electoral College isn't representative of
the people.
She urged that the popular vote should have
more weight in the elective process.
"We need a national runoff election. I don't
believe it will be started this year, but we need it
so every vote counts" she said. "Everybody
needs to be represented."
Demonstrators concerns included the future
and fairness of presidential elections in light of
recent events.
"We're protesting that Bush is claiming he's
president-elect when that hasn't been decided
yet," Ann Arbor resident Michael Beasley said.
"It's horrible that the ballots were thrown out
because of a misleading format. But this (rally)
gave me some hope that we could do something
to remedy things," he said.
Beasley said he and others plan to have a rally
every Saturday at 1 p.m. until the issue is
resolved and hopes people will step forward.
and increase support for their cause.
"The more people we have demonstarting the
more people will know how important this is.
The best way you can show you care is by being
there," he said.
6
I
Naked Mile: Few naked, no
mile as police crack down
By Elizabeth Kassab
and Maria Sprow
April 18, 2001
After a substantial effort conducted by the University and
the Ann Arbor Police Department, this year's Naked Mile drew
far fewer participants and spectators than it had in previous
years, leaving the future of the annual event in question.
Only "a couple dozen runners actually ran," Department
of Public Safety spokeswoman Diane Brown said. Esti-
mates from last year pegged the number of runners at 400,
while about 800 students participated two years ago.
The number of spectators also dwindled to about 7,000,
down from the estimated 10,000 audience members that
came for last year's run, Brown said.
The AAPD arrested a total of four people for indecent
exposure and four others for disorderly conduct. DPS also
made one arrest for indecent exposure, one for a minor in
possession of alcohol, one for interfering with an arrest,
and one for possession of marijuana. Though Brown said
she was not aware of any incidents being reported, the Ann
Arbor News reported that a sexual assault was filed.
AAPD Sgt. Michael Logghe was unavailable for com-
ment today.
"We are also going to be seeking warrants for four other
folks that may include indecent exposure," DPS spokes-
woman Diane Brown said. In addition to the increased
number of arrests, police officials also escalated efforts to
prevent students from participating in the Naked Mile.
Around 11:50 p.m., one participant tangled with an AAPD
officer who attempted to prevent him from continuing the run.
In protest, the surrounding crowd began chanting
obscenities and approximately 100 students organized an
impromptu sit-down in the middle of South University
Avenue, clogging the street.
The officer managed to put the runner in a squad car.
The sit-down inspired LSA freshman Adam Lowenstein,
who said he had not anticipated running, to strip down to
his shoes and sprint off.
Lowenstein said he was approached by a police officer
before he reached the end of the route.
"He said, 'If you don't put on your underwear' which I
was holding 'you're going to get arrested,' Lowenstein
said. "I put on my underwear."
LSA sophomore Michael Simon, chair of the Michigan
Student Assembly's Student's Rights Commission, said
student volunteers did not predict this year's event would
be as problematic.
Simon, who supported the sit-down, said police actions
were overly forceful.
"Things went 100 times worse than we thought they
would," he said. "The reactions of the crowd to these
arrests were really strong. I was just completely shocked
and outraged. (the runners) were not hurting anyone."
DAVID KATZ/Dai
Some students prepared for Y2K by
buying bottled water.
Y2K bug
takes a
baclkseat
to fia
By Jodie Kaufman
Dec. 13, 1999
As most University students are
studying for finals, the dawning of
the new millennium is approach-
ing, and speculation about what is
really going to happen worries
many across the country.
But at the University, most stu-
dents do not seem to be too con-
cerned about the Y2K frenzy.
The Y2K concern stems from
computer systems that may not rec-
ognize "00" as 2000, instead read-
ing it as 1900.
"I don't think anything's going to
happen. It won't affect anything,"
LSA senior Nick Yeager said.
Many others agree, saying that the
Y2K ordeal is blown out of proportion.
Engineering junior Dawn O'Sul-
livan also expressed concern for
those who are over-anxious.
"I think it's a big scare, and peo-
ple are too paranoid," she said.
Engineering junior Regina
Bousson added, "maybe if we are
lucky our grades will get wiped
out," to which O'Sullivan fol-
lowed, "maybe we will just get
4.0's for everything."
Others blame the possible panic
on the media.
"It's all about the media playing off
on uneducated people's fears," said
Engineering senior Scott Jackson.
"I'm not worried about it, and I
am a computer engineer - planes
aren't going to fall out of the sky,
and anything that is screwed up is
going to be able to be corrected,"
Jackson said.
LSA junior George Day also said
he believes Y2K is merely a hoax.
"I think it is overblown to the
extent that media and businesses
have capitalized on it, because a lot
of people don't know anything
about computers," he said.
Some students said they are leav-
ing it up to their family members
to worry about the craze. "I'm not
worried, but my mom has bottled
water and food saved up," LSA soph-
omore Jenna Williams said.
I
4
6
FRANK PAYNE/Daily
Fewer students have participated In the Naked Mile In recent years due to
increased arrests, leaving some to question the event's future.
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