IAteather

Thursday
November 20, 2003
©2003 The Michigan Daily
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Vol. CXII, No. 56


One-hundred-thirteen years ofeditonalfreedom

Sunny dur-
ing the day
and mostly
clear at
night.

H57
LOW: 39

S6142
wwwm ichigand ailycom


Candidates
accused of
flooding
'U' inboxes
By KrstIn Ostby
DailyStaffReporter
An overwhelming number of spam e-
mails crammed students' inboxes on the
first day of student government elections
yesterday. These e-mails were meant to
enwourage students to vote for candi-
dates, but for many, the messages back-
fird by annoying its recipients.
Frustration with unsolicited e-mails
prgimpted some students to report the
campaign spamming to the Information
Technology User Advocate, the comput-
ing center that regulates e-mail policies.
LSA sophomore Michael Roth said
he did not appreciate the seven unsolicit-
ed e-mails he received from Students
First candidates, which is why he sent a
conplaint to the IT User Advocate.
it's one thing to hand out flyers, but
yoq can't really avoid the e-mail. It's a
big hassle and it's really annoying," he
said.
If (the Michigan Student Assembly)
is #ying to turn students on to voting,
unlicited e-mail is not the way to do
it,' Roth added.
fan Barrera, student government
eleution director, said he has received
complaints about spam e-mailing, and
that IT is discussing the issue and its
acceptability in campaigning. "It's in
IT's hands, so it's up to them, essential-
ly;' Barrera said.
Matt Rudin, Students First candidate
for LSA Student Government, said he e-
mailed his friends, acquaintances and
classmates in an attempt to gain votes
for the election. He added that e-mail is
simply a part of the student government
campaigning process.
Rudin said he has received several
responses by students complaining about
campaign e-mails and that he immedi-
ately responded with an apology.
"It blows up when 80 well-connected
people are e-mailing everyone they
know," he added.
The IT office was unavailable for
comment. Its website states that the best
way to deal with spam is simply to
delete it. "There is currently no fool-
See MSA, Page 7A

Same-sex ruling

elicits Mich.

By Andrew Kaplan
Daily Staff Reporter

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial
Court's decision in favor of gay mar-
riages Tuesday recognizes same-sex
unions in its state alone. But the ruling's
message - the first of its kind from a
high court - has reverberated across
multiple levels of government.
In Michigan, the decision has forced
advocates and opponents of gay unions
to reexamine the possibility of same-sex
marriages in the state and across the
nation.
Currently, a proposal restricting same-
sex marriages to heterosexual unions is
languishing in the Michigan Senate. If
ratified by both houses of the Legisla-
ture and then approved on a public ballot
initiative next year, the state constitution
would preempt Michigan courts from
ruling in favor of same-sex unions.
"Wherever it's been voted on, the peo-
ple have decided that marriage is
between a man and a woman," said Sen.
Alan Cropsey (R-DeWitt), who intro-
duced the proposed amendment last
month. "I think it would be very diffi-
cult for most legislators to say we're not
going to let the people vote on (the pro-
posal)."
Although Massachusetts is the first

state to recognize gay marriages, other
states - most notably, Vermont and
California - recognize same-sex
unions. But Vermont is the only state
that recognizes "civil unions" or legal
partnerships granting about 400 state
economic and legal benefits, but not the
1,000 federal benefits attached to het-
erosexual unions.
Referring to states that have at some
point recognized same-sex unions,
Cropsey said such partnerships have
only gained recognition where the courts
have wrongly "set policy" through their
rulings. He added that the Massachu-
setts court breached its role in govern-
ment by adjudicating in favor of gay
marriages.
"From the judiciary standpoint, they
are obliterating the line between the
judiciary and the Legislature," Cropsey
said. "They know that this is the
purview of the Legislature, but they are
trying to put this in constitutional terms
and force it on the people in that state."
But Rep. Chris Kolb (D-Ann Arbor),
who said he opposes the Michigan
amendment and favors the Massachu-
setts ruling, said he did not think the
court acted outside its jurisdiction.
"I think (the Massachusetts judges)
were definitely acting within their body
when a legislature, at any level, denied

views
"From the judiciary
standpoint, they are
obliterating the line
between the judiciary
and the legislature:'
- Sen. Alan Cropsey
(R-DeWitt)
basic rights afforded to everyone to any
one group," Kolb said, adding that laws
banning gay marriage violate the Equal
Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitu-
tion. "That is what the judicial branch of
government is supposed to do.... When
one of the branches is wrong it's their
job to correct it - that's checks and bal-
ances."
While Kolb, an openly gay lawmaker,
said he thought all Michigan voters were
divided over the issue of gay marriage,
he added that they will most likely reject
the state's amendment proposal and rec-
ognize marriage as a basic civil right.
"Michigan is a more conservative
state than many in this country, but the
people are fair and it's one when you
See MARRIAGES, Page 7A

Mike Holland, left, and Jim Gatteau of San Francisco, listen to speakers at a same-sex
marriage rally at Harvey Milk Plaza in San Francisco Tuesday. The Massachusetts
Supreme Judicial Court's ruling drew both praise and criticism around the nation.

LSA-SG works for int'l relations minor

By Margaret Engoren
Daily Staff Reporter

Students searching course guides for the
perfect schedule may soon have more
options. LSA Student Government unani-
mously approved a resolution to work for the
creation of a new international relations
minor Tuesday night.
"We are the only Big Ten school without an
international relations program," said Jesse
Knight, an LSA senior and LSA-SG academ-
ic relations officer.
"It is important to have an understanding of
the global community. Nothing is broader or
a better bedrock for future work than interna-
tional relations, which can be employed in
business, government and public health."

The proposed international relations minor
will be offered by the political science
department, if approved by the department's
dean, and will take an interdisciplinary
approach to the field. The resolution suggests
the minor require history, economics, politi-
cal science and foreign-language courses.
"We are looking to package existing cours-
es into a new curriculum," Knight said. "The
creation of the new minor will probably not
involve new courses or new faculty.
It is unlikely the minor would be approved
if it came with high costs because of the Uni-
versity's budget cuts.
"We have already received support from
certain student groups like the Michigan
Journal of Political Science and the Under-
graduate Political' Science Association,"

Knight said.
"We now need

Science and LSA curriculum committees to
approve the minor. Once it passes both
groups, it will need final approval by the
LSA executive committee. If all of this hap-
pens, we may have an international relations
minor as early as fall 2004."
Erica Brailey, a political science concentra-
tor who plans to study in Rome next semes-
ter, said she welcomes the new minor and
would like to take more international rela-
tions courses.
"I would be very interested," said Brailey,
an LSA junior.
"The political science department now
offers relatively few international relations
classes and it would be a great boost for stu-

the Department of Political

dents who want to study abroad to be able to
take more of those courses."
If the international relations minor is suc-
cessful, LSA-SG aims to expand the program
so students could concentrate in the field,
said Tiffany Talsma, an LSA-SG Academic
Affairs Committee member.
"Whenever students come to our office, we
ask them to fill out a survey about what
they'd like us to work on," said Talsma, an
LSA freshman.
"International studies are always men-
tioned. We have also been told by LSA aca-
demic advisors that many students are interested in
the subject"
The University first offered academic minors in
1999. Native American Studies, offered through the
See MINORS, Page 7A


ACLU seeks declassification
of criminal, terrorist profiles
By Michael Gurovitsch and federal law enforcement agencies," paper reported the MATRIX collects

MAKING THE CUT


Dily Staff Reporter

4 The American Civil Liberties Union
has filed requests under the Freedom of
Information Act in several states -
including Michigan - in hopes of
learning more about a computer data-
base that state governments are using to
collect personal data.
Law enforcement in participating
states use the Multi Anti-Terrorism
Information Exchange, or MATRIX, to
"increase and enhance the exchange of
sensitive terrorism and other criminal
activity information between local, state,

according to the Institute for Intergov-
ernmental Research, which is facilitat-
ing the program.
Michigan is one of eight states partic-
ipating in the one-year pilot program.
Supporters say the program is a nec-
essary tool in solving and preventing
crimes, while opponents claim it is an
unwarranted, federal government spon-
sored intrusion on individual privacy.
The ACLU's information request
seeks more information than what many
media outlets have already reported,
including the Atlanta Journal-Constitu-
tion. Last month, the

credit information, driver's license data,
past addresses and telephone numbers,
vehicle registrations, marriage and
divorce records and the names of family
members, business associates and
neighbors.
The ACLU also wants to find out the
scope of the database, including who is
in it, how information is collected and
what methods of analysis are used.
Connecticut State Police Lt. Phil Hal-
ibozek said his state is participating in
the program because it enables the
police to solve crimes more quickly.
See MATRIX, Page 3A

Blinded by the light

More students opt
f or cosmeti surgeiy
as stzkma fades
By Alison Go
Daily Staff Reporter
Cosmetic procedures among 19- to 34-year-olds have
increased 236 percent in the past six years.
Although the age group, which includes college stu-
dents, accounts for only 24.5 percent of all cosmetic
procedures, the group experienced a disproportionate
increase, according to a survey held by the American
Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
Cosmetic procedures among all age groups com-
bined have increased 228 percent since 1997, the
study said.
were 2,099,173 operations in 1997 and 6,889,531
operations in 2002.
The rise in performed procedures and the wider pub-
licity in the media have been attributed to the decline of
stigma accredited to surgery.
"Without a doubt, it is more widely accepted. Among
some groups, it's even considered normal," said Ed
Wilkins, an associate professor of surgery in plastic sur-
gery at the University.
The most common surgical procedures for 19- to 34-
year-olds are liposuction and breast augmentation.
The most common non-surgical procedure for this
age group is microdermabrasion, or the gradual exfolia-
tion of the skin.
"It's not as taboo as it used to be. It's more wide-
spread and more natural looking," LSA senior Melissa
Levey said. Levey underwent rhinoplasty, or a nose job,
nearly three years ago. "No one could even tell I had
anything done."
Despite the bad economy, Wilkins also credited this
rise of acceptance to greater affluence of certain sectors
of the public.
"Twenty years ago, this was only something for
the wealthy. Many segments of society were exclud-
ed from the option because they couldn't afford it,"

LAURA SCHLECTER/Daily
The dotted lines represent the incision lines made by surgeons
performing cosmetic surgeries. Popular surgeries among
students include rhinoplasty and liposuction.

reported that 18- to 24-year-olds disapprove of cosmetic
surgery more than any other age group. Forty-eight per-
cent of college students approve, opposed to the 60 per-
cent of baby boomers.
"Students are not the ones that are aging and are
the least likely to have surgery in the first place.
Logically, they are the most likely to disapprove,"

L.

th ;l r I I


I