Wednesday
September 4, 2002
@2002 The Michigan Daily
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Vol. CXIII, No. 2
Election
Day ballot
expected
to be long
By Loule Meizlish
Daily Staff Reporter
With the passing of the Labor Day
weekend, the campaigns for elective
office in Michigan are heating up with a
ballot expected to be chock full of deci-
sions for voters.
Voters will be choosing new office-
holders in the state's four top elective
offices as well as deciding the compo-
sition of the state's congressional del-
egation, the state House and Senate
and the fate of as many as five
statewide ballot proposals.
The most watched race will likely be
that to succeed three-term Republican
Gov. John Engler, who is barred by term
limits from seeking a fourth term. Run-
ning to succeed him are Democratic
state Attorney General Jennifer
Granholn, fresh off a big win in a very
contentious August primary with two
political veterans, and Republican Lt.
Gov. Dick Posthumus, who wants to
continue Engler's legacy of tax cuts and
welfare reform.
The campaign "is going to be a con-
tinuation of what she said in the pri-
mary," Granholm spokesman Chris De
Witt said. "Education will be the prime
issue, as well as health care and pre-
scription drugs."
Posthumus and Granholm's running
mates, whose election for lieutenant
governor is decided with the same
checkmark as that for governor, are
both veterans of the state Senate. They
are- Sens. Loren Bennett (R-Canton
Twp.) and John Cherry Jr. (D-Clio).
"Posthumus has been a part of the
problem," De Witt said, referring to the
state's budget woes. "His party has been
in control of the Legislature and the
executive branch."
The Posthumus campaign has been
countering those messages by saying
Granholm is intent on raising taxes for
-Michigan voters by supporting a
See ELECTION, Page 7
One-hundred-eleven years of editorialfreedom
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Shaman Drum Bookstore employees Patrick Elkins, Colleen Woods, Dan Velleman and manager Bob
Carrie crossdressed yesterday to help raise HIV awareness.
Drag, condoms used as
tools in HIV education
By Maria Sprow
Daily Staff Reporter
Although the University is still
awaiting a decision by the 6th Circuit
Court of Appeals regarding its under-
graduate admissions policy, some legal
experts say the case has become
insignificant nationally because the
Law School's use of race in admissions
will most likely be accepted by the
Supreme Court.
"As far as Supreme Court review is
concerned, the undergraduate case is
not important," Wayne State Law Prof.
Robert Sedler said.
He said the court would most likely
be interested in ruling whether diversi-
ty is a compelling interest, which the
Court could address with either case,
and not whether the individual admis-
sions policies are constitutional.
While the policy itself is specific
to the University, the question
involving diversity affects the
whole country, he added.
On May 14, the 6th Circuit
reversed the district court's decision,
made by U.S. District Judge Bernard
Friedman, in the case Grutter vs.
Bollinger. In its majority opinion,
written by Chief Circuit Judge
Boyce Martin, it declared that diver-
sity is a compelling state interest.
The Center for Individual Rights,
a Washington-based law firm, which
represents plaintiff Barbara Grutter,
filed papers Aug. 9 asking the
Supreme Court to hear an appeal in
the case. The University has 30 days
to ask the Supreme Court to deny
CIR's request.
The 6th Circuit has yet to reach its
decision regarding the case against
the College of L atetauie, 'cA e
and the Arts. The most likely reason
for the delay is a disagreement about
whether its admissions policy is pre-
cisely tailored to the college's needs,
Sedler said.
University Assistant General
Counsel Jonathon Alger maintained
that the policy is precisely tailored
and is not unlike the Law School's
policy. He said applicants to both
schools are individually reviewed
and both schools take into account a
variety of factors to determine
whether a person is qualified.
"Certainly, our position has been
that the current policies are constitu-
tional," Alger said. "It's certainly our
hope that the court would not say that
admissions have to be done in one par-
ticular way, because there are going to
be different needs for different schools.
We think it's important that there hasto
be some room left for schools in deter-
mining how best to run the admissions
policies."
He said the main difference is that
the Law School uses what is called a
"whole file review" process, while the
LSA used a selection index that gives
students a certain amount of points for
different factors.
A student may receive up to 150
points, the majority coming from his or
her high school grade point average
and other academic factors. They also
receive 20 points if they are an under-
represented minority, are ata socioeco-
nomic disadvantage or attend a
predominantly minority high school.
"It's more quantifiable. ... It's not
just a simple matter of adding up the
numbers," Alger said. "Somebody real-
ly is looking at the file to see if any-
thing stands out, or if an application
merits further consideration or further
review."
Ile added that he did not know what
steps the University would take if the
See LAWSUITS, Page 5
By Janes Ng
Daily StaffReporter
Students visiting Shaman Drum
Bookshop on South State Street yester-
day may have been surprised to find
bookstore workers dressed in drag and
free chocolate-flavored condoms being
distributed ata stall outside the store.
Shaman Drum has been holding
what it calls "Drag Day" in collabora-
tion with the HIV/AIDS Resource
Center since 1995, Shaman Drum
trade manager Nancy Rohlen said.
Dressed inmen's blue jeans and a black
tank top, Rohlen explained that
Shaman Drum workers began dressing
up in drag for the first day of every Fall
semester to promote HIV awareness
after one of their managers died of
AIDS. "We decided to hold Drag Day
in his memory," Rohlen said.
HARC is a non-profit HIV/AIDS
service provider based inYpsilanti that
serves Washtenaw, Jackson, Livingston
and Lenawee counties.
"Shaman Drum asks us to provide
condoms on Drag Day," HARC out-
reach worker Ben Fife said. "We are
doing this so that students know where
to get condoms and to get them think-
ing about how to protect themselves
against AIDS and other (sexually trans-
mitted diseases)."
Bookstore patrons were generally
amused by the sight of workers dressed
in drag, but they also realized the deep-
er message behind the reason for dress-
ing in drag and distributing
contraceptives. "Well, someone has to
do it," LSA freshman Lauren Dolega
said. "It's great that they were willing
to dress in drag to draw students' atten-
tion to the very real threat of HIV and
AIDS."
Rohlen added that besides being for
a good cause, Drag Day helps to bring
a bit of humor into their day's work.
"It also helps build camaraderie
between our workers, especially at this
time of the year when many of our
workers are new," Rohlen said.
RC film depicts local{
homelessness problem
By Rob Goodspeed little shack." Wolfe said the people they met that first day
Daily Staff Reporter were receptive to the idea of creating the documentary.
The filmmakers say they made the documentary with spe-
You might see Lyzz browsing at the Ann Arbor public cific goals.
library, or spot Shiloh relaxing in the grass near the Diag. "We want to make the voices of Ann Arbor's homeless
You might encounter Little Bear outside Ulrich's or Rich sit- population heard," the documentary's website states. "This
ting outside at a restaurant on State Street. Willis and Mau- documentary presents a diverse group of personal stories
rice attend classes at Eastern Michigan University during and comment from people who are or have recently been
the day and spend their nights on the street. All of these peo- homeless in Ann Arbor. Our goal is to present these voices
ple are featured in a new documentary on homelessness in as our interviewees intend them to be heard."
Ann Arbor. Titled "Listen," the filmmakers attempted to present the
Filmmakers and RC graduates Elisha Wolfe and John stories of the people they met, not to view homelessness as a
Mathias spent last year filming and editing the documentary problem with clear solutions.
for their senior project. "We tried to make it something that would bring their
"'I was really aware of the homelessness issue in Ann voices out," Mathias said. "I don't have the answers. ... It's
Arbor," Wolfe said. Students "don't really understand these probably not going to be one solution."
people." The filmmakers held eight public screenings in August in
Wolfe and Mathias said at first they were unsure how to venues ranging from Expresso Royale on Main Street to
approach the project. Pierpont Commons on North Campus. The filmmakers plan
"We went to the shelter association. ... There we met a six additional showings in Sept., including a midnight show-
couple guys who took us around," Wolfe said. "The first day ing at the State Theatre Sept. 26.
we were filming we went under a bridge ... and there was a See FILM, Page 8
BRENDAN4o DONNELUDaily
A local homeless man who refers to himself as
Sclechet sits at sunset on the corner of State
Street and North University Avenue.
Patients fear
transmission
of West' Nile
Inside: West Nile virus strikes areas of the Midwest. Page 3.
By Kylene Kiang
Daily Staff Reporter
The death ofa transplant patient last week and illnesses in
three other patients who received organ donations from the
same donor in Georgia may prove to discredit what is known
of the West Nile virus and how it is transmitted.
Further testing by the Centers for Disease Control in
Atlanta may confirm the first instance pf human-to-human
transmission of West Nile virus. The virus is typically trans-
mitted to humans through mosquitoes.
"Although transmission of the West Nile virus via blood
transfusion or organ donation has been a theoretical possibil-
ity, transmission via these routes has not been previously
observed," the CDC said ina statement Sunday.
The organs of an infected Georgia woman, who died last
month in a car accident, were implanted in the four patients
in early August. Before her death, she had received blood
from 37 transfusions, raising the possibility that the woman
had received infected blood; however, the chances are "very
low," the CDC said.
The remaining blood from the 37 blood donors was
recalled.
Encephalitis, which is caused by West Nile virus, was the
confirmed cause of death in an autopsy of the transplant
patient. Two others remain hospitalized with neurological ill-
nesses, and the fourth organ recipient is recovering at home
after developing fevers.
Robertson Davenport, medical director of Blood Bank and
Transfusion Services in the University of Michigan Depart-
ment of Pathology, said no test currently exists to detect West
Nile virus during blood screenings.
Despite the small possibility of receiving infected blood,
Davenport said no immediate changes will be made to donor
screening procedures, as any potential donors who have
received mosquito bites will not be turned away.
"Deferring people in that way would be more ofanegative
impact on the blood supply," he said.
Washtenaw County American Red Cross spokeswoman
Pamela Reading-Smith said the blood donation program will
not change its protocol for blood donor screening at this
time.
"We are working intensely with the (Food and Drug
Administration) and the CDC to get this situation straight-
ened out."
Spanish ketchup
Unknown man found dea d
in 500 block of Church St.
By Jeremy Berkowitz
Daily Staff Reporter
The body of a 58-year-old man was
found last night at the back of a house
located in the 500 block of Church
Street behind the David M. Dennison
Building, Ann Arbor Police Depart-
ment Sgt. Andrew Zazula confirmed
early this morning.
Ann Arbor police received a call
last night around 8:20 about the
corpse. They reported to the area
and questioned residents who lived
near the house.
Police could not confirm whether
the man was a resident of Ann Arbor
or affiliated with the University.
Although an autopsy will not be
performed until later today, police
told residents they believe the man
died between noon and 8 p.m.
Zazula said he doubted there was
any violent confrontation.
"Medical examiners at this point
feel (the cause of death) is natural
causes. There is no sign of foul
play," Zazula said.
Zazula would not release any
information about the male victim
because the family had not been
notified as of 12:30 this morning.
But area residents believe the man
was a maintenance worker because
a maintenance van was parked near
the scene.
Zazula would not give any informa-
tion on who discovered the body.
Although Zazula is fairly confi-
dent the man was not murdered,
recent events on campus have
heightened student fears about their
safety.
Two and a half weeks ago, a male
suspect assaulted a female law student
at the Law Quad, choking her and
stealing her purse and backpack.
The police currently have 56-
year-old Joseph Robinson detained
as a suspect. His preliminary hear-
ing on charges of assault to commit
robbery while armed and assault
with intent to commit murder began
last week.
In addition, three men attacked a
man on the Diag near the Shapiro
Undergraduate Library about a
month ago.
They hit the victim from behind
and stole his wallet.
Youths pelt ripe tomatoes at each other during
the annual "Tomatina" tomato fight in the town
of Bunol, Spain last week.
COMING TOMORROW OPINION
Kickoff 2002 Presidential expectations
The Michigan football team kicked off its season Columnist Zac Peskowitz attacks the notion
with a spectacular last-second win last Saturday. Our that student activism is glamorous, urging
football writers look ahead at what the rest of the students to tackle hard issues.
2002 campaign has in store. Page 4.
ARTS
The good, bad ad ugly
Robert Rodriguez's "Spy Kids: Island of
Lost Dreams," and Clint Eastwood's
flick "Bloodwork" go under the knife.
Page 9.
SPORTS
Touring in Europe
Bernard Robinson has returned in
better health from Europe and is ready
to lead the offense.
Page 15.
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