Monday
Novembe~r 42002iy
.2002 The Michigan Daily
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Vol. CXIII, No. 42
One-Aundred-twelve years ofeditorialfreedom
Weather
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Candidates campaign at pre-game tailgates
By Tomislav Ladika
and Louie Meizilish
Daily Staff Reporters
Politics mixed with football as Michigan's
political candidates exhibited a more personal
side to students during the tailgate before the
annual football clash between rivals Michigan
and Michigan State Saturday.
Republican gubernatorial nominee Dick
Posthumus walked among the tailgaters,
shaking hands, introducing himself to voters
and even signing footballs - which
required the use of a reporter's pen.
"It's a chance for them
to see who we really are,
Posthumus said. Wearing
khakis and a gray
sweater, Posthumus
weaved through the
Crisler Arena parking lot,
escorted by his daughter MICHIGAN
Heather and several stu- n
dent supporters. ELECTIONS
"Part of it is to fire 200
people up ... to get them
out to vote," he said.
Posthumus' message seemed to find a
receptive audience before the game. Political
yard signs and people wearing campaign
stickers mixed in with the traditional Michi-
gan and Michigan State fanfare.
Posthumus called the turnout of students
interested in politics "fantastic" and said he
believed he had won new supporters, thereby
accomplishing one of his campaign goals.
"One of the things I wanted to do was to
show that the political pundits were all
wrong, and that the students are going to
vote," he said.
Matt Nolan, a member of Students for
Posthumus, said the in-state rivalry and pre-
game tailgate traditionally attract many politi-
cal candidates. He said decisions made by
voters now will affect college students in the
future.
"These are your issues, these are our
issues," Nolan said.
Fifty to 60 student volunteers formed satel-
lite groups and scattered around the parking
lot to support Posthumus, Nolan said.
Melvin Butch Hollowell, the Democratic
candidate for secretary of state, was also in
Ann Arbor Saturday. Just prior to kickoff, he
could be seen shaking hands and introduci-ug
himself to prospective voters cutting across
Elbel Field on the way to the game.
"We want people to know help is on the
way," Hollowell said. "We're going to bring
people together for election reform, to profes-
sionalize our election training staff and crack-
ing down on car repair fraud."
A contingent of students from the Associa-
tion of Michigan Universities had arguably
See CAMPAIGNS, Page 7A
Senate hopefuls
differ on health
care, economy
By Tomislav Ladika
Daily Staff Reporter
Recent economic struggles have
many graduating college students wor-
ried about finding jobs, and while
Andrew Raczkowski, the Republican
candidate for the U.S. Senate, has said
President Bush's tax cut program will
spur economic growth, incumbent U.S.
Sen. Carl Levin said it only benefits
upper income people.
Raczkowski, a state representative
from Farmington Hills, said Bush's
program encourages economic growth
"because it puts more disposable
income in our pockets and not the gov-
ernment's."
In addition to supporting the tax
cuts, Raczkowski said he favors the
total elimination of all taxes on
income saved for retirement, and he
proposed removing taxes on income
parents save for their children's col-
lege education by replacing them with
tax credits.
Levin, a Democrat from Detroit,
said instead of freeing up disposable
income, Bush's cuts help to create a
"deficit ditch" while only benefiting a
small portion of the population.
"Over 50 percent of that tax cut, by
the time it is fully implemented, would
go to the wealthiest 1 percent, and
that's wrong," he said.
See SENATE, Page 2A
REBECCA SAHN/Daily
A participant takes part in the Diwali celebration Friday. Diwali is known as the "festival of lights" and is a celebration of homecoming.
Dkvalps homage to exiled Lord
'Day of the Dead'
celebrates lives
of lost loved ones
By Rahwa Ghebre-Ab
Daily Staff Reporter
The Anderson Room of the Michigan Union
was ablaze with tiny lights and hanging lanterns on
Friday night in honor of the Indian Student Associ-
ation's Diwali celebration.
Diwali is celebrated in nearly all parts of
India and it pays homage to Lord Rama, who
returned to his kingdom of Ayodhya after 14
years of exile.
"It's a welcome back celebration of sorts. And
every time this year, we celebrate his homecom-
ing," Business junior and ISA events coordinator
Deepa Sawlani said.
More than 350 people filled the Anderson Room
and even more spilled out into the surrounding
hallways.
The celebration kicked off with the lighting of
sparklers to offer up light, which is a significant
part of the celebration.
"Diwali is known all over as the 'festival of
lights,"' Sawlani said.
The lights are there to welcome Lakshmi, god-
dess of wealth and prosperity, and the goddess
Kali, who the festival also honors, said Engineer-
ing senior Kunal Aggrawal, an ISA executive
board member.
Following the lighting of the sparklers was the
ceremonial prayer and prasad, which were accom-
panied by the traditional bhajan, a worship song
specifically used during the festival.
"In India, on this day, we just worship and make
a certain food which we call prasad. It is given up
as an offering," Engineering graduate student
Ambal Jayaraman said.
Soon after the prayer the crowd settled onto the
ground for the cultural show, which included vari-
ous songs, dances, instrumentals and skits. A cere-
monial dinner followed.
"Through events like these, the campus is
See DIWALI, Page 2A
By Rahwa Ghebre-Ab
Daily Staff Reporter
Emotions ran high as various stu-
dents spoke about loved ones lost in
honor of el Dia de los Muertos -
The Day of the Dead - Friday
evening in the Michigan Union Art
Lounge.
Pictures, skull sculptures and vari-
ous altars were set up to memorialize
those who have passed.
"El Dia de los Muertos is primarily
a Mexican tradition, but it's big all over
the Latino world," said LSA junior
Myrna Vaca, executive board member
of La Voz Latina, the sponsoring
group.
"El Dia de los Muertos has its roots
in the Aztecs and it commemorates the
lives of those who have passed. Instead
of remembering their deaths, we are
celebrating their lives," said a member
of the Latino Task Force who wished
to remain anonymous.
See RESPECT, Page 2A
'Tour' shows students Mid-East
Bye, bye, Bobby
By Karen Schwartz
Daily Staff Reporter
"Where is Armenia?" one student asked
another as they perused the Armenian Stu-
dents' Cultural Association table at the Tour of
the Middle East exhibition. "I'm not sure,
maybe somewhere near China?" her friend
replied as they bent down to look at a map.
The two were among the around 150 students
and community members who came to watch
dances and skits and explore exhibits about "F
cultures of the Middle East at the Trotter they
House yesterday afternoon. wha
The ASCA set up and manned a table at the S
event covered in books, maps and information Rita
with the hope that they could spread informa- East
tion about their culture. tura
"We wanted to get the word out - if any- thes
one had any questions or wondered who we 4"
are," said ASCA president and LSA senior East
Vartivar Sagherian.
Annual A
By Shabina S. Khatri
Daily Staff Reporter
People will know an Armenian or say that
yknow an Armenian, they just won't know
at it means to be Armenian," he said.
chool of Public Health graduate student
Aouad co-chaired the Tour of the Middle
t, which featured a variety of campus cul-
l groups and has been in the works since
start of the school year.
We felt there was a need to bring Middle
tern organizations on campus together for
See AWARENESS, Page 7A
dvocacy
positive government officials that
want to do the right thing - and it's
up to us as constituents to inform
them of what we want and what we
need," event organizer and School of
Social Work graduate student Han-
nah Enright said.
The day's events, which were
sponsored by Project SERVE and
The Edward Ginsberg Center for
Community Service and Learning,
were structured around a panel dis-
cussion, two issue sessions and a
mini-fair of activist student organi-
zations.
LSA Student Government Presi-
dent Monique Luse, an LSA senior,
Michigan State University fans put in their two cents regarding their football
team's recent woes during the game against the Wolverines Saturday.
'U' honors nominees for
prestigi~ous scholarshi"ps
More than 120 college students
from across Michigan registered to
participate in the University's second
annual Advocacy Day on Friday, a
one-day seminar designed to promote
student empowerment in the social
and political arenas through activism
workshops.
State Rep. Chris Kolb and U.S.
Rep. Lynn Rivers, both Democrats
from Ann Arbor, commenced the
program by encouraging students to
get involved in the political process.
"Lynn Rivers basically said that
By Kara DeBoer
Daily Staff Reporter
Provost Paul Courant and numerous faculty
members honored eight University students Fri-
day who were nominated for the 2002-03 Rhodes,
Marshall and Mitchell Scholarships. Though this
nomination is the first step of many requisites for
scholar status, Courant emphasized the students'
achievement.
Courant also urged attending professors to take
pride in their former students' accomplishments.
"Enjoy this moment, because they're about to
leave you in the dust. Celebrate the influence
you've had," he said.
Accomplishments and contributions of the stu-
dents legitimize bragging rights, said scholarship
subcommittee member Ejner Jensen, He said the
nominees were chosen only after reviewing more
than two dozen applications and conducting 12
TONY DING/Daily