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www.m ch gaindaily.comn
Ann Arbor, Michigan Vol. CXIII, No. 101
©2004 The Michigan Daily
-. -__ a 4
.State debates death
penalty
ban
By Michael Gurovitsch
Daily Staff Reporter
Rep. Larry Julian (R-Lennon) introduced
a resolution to the state Legislature Wednes-
day that seeks to reverse Michigan's consti-
tutional ban on the death penalty, which
dates back to 1846.
In order to amend the constitution, a two-
thirds majority in the House and the Senate,
as well as voter approval, is needed.
The current language of the constitution
states: "no law shall be enacted providing
for the penalty of death." Julian said he
wants to add the words "except for first
degree murder" to the end.
Julian, a 27-year veteran of the state
police, said he has always advocated capital
punishment for the most "heinous" crimi-
nals.
"We need to send a message loud and
clear to these people. You may well pay for
this with your life," Julian said.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm opposes the
measure. She is particularly concerned that
capital punishment does not act as a deter-
rent and has the possibility of killing inno-
cent people, spokeswoman Mary Detloff
said.
"Other states are in the
process of dismantling
the death penalty laws
because of the error rate
of people who end up on
death row wrongfully,"
Detloff said. "Michigan
does not need to go
against the tide on this.
Michigan has been an
anti-death penalty state."
Julian, who unsuccess-
fully tried to get a similar resolution passed
in 1999, said he would make sure that
nobody is wrongfully executed in the state
through stringent burden-of -proof stan-
dards, which would be adopted after the con-
stitution was amended.
"The statute (would be) clear and convinc-
ing," he said.
The proposal comes just days after two
Detroit police officers were murdered while
conducting a traffic stop.
Julian said he introduced the legislation
now because he felt like "the timing was
right," adding that the composition of the
state Legislature had changed - presum-
ably in favor of the death penalty - due to
term limits since his previous attempt in
1999.
Thirty-eight states currently have the
death penalty, although five of those states
have not executed anyone since 1976. Sever-
al Southern states, such as Florida, Texas
and Louisiana use the death penalty several
times a year.
Texas has already executed six prisoners
this year and killed 24 people last year
according to the state department of criminal
justice.
See JULIAN, Page 7
FACULTY AND STAFF
Lecturers rally
for better pay,
work conditions
By Victoria Edwards
Daily Staff Reporter
Led by the Lecturers' Employee
Organization, 200 supporters gathered
in front of the Fleming Administration
Building yesterday afternoon demand-
ing non-tenured job security and bene-
fits for lecturers.
Held right before the University
Board of Regents meeting, the rally was
organized to show the University the
vast amount of support for the griev-
ances of non-tenure track faculty at the
University, LEO organizer Ian Robin-
son said.
Other main concerns Robinson
brought up at the rally were higher
wages and increased representation in
University policies affecting the teach-
ing and job conditions of lecturers.
A non-tenured lecturer who has
worked at the University for 10 years,
can still be denied renewal of his con-
tract without further explanation under
current University standards, Robinson
said. He added that the $19,600 salary
of a lecturer with a graduate degree is
half the salary of a starting high school
teacher with the same degree.
"Members are committed to teaching
but we don't want to see the University
exploit that. They should give people
their just due. .. Students have been
able to rely on their professors commit-
ment but we don't know how long that
commitment will last," Robinson said.
He added that if the University con-
tinues to mistreat its non-tenured lectur-
ers their commitment to teaching would
eventually develop into cynicism,
affecting their teaching.
The students who said they would be
most affected by a decrease in lecturers'
motivation showed up to support their
teachers.
Art and Design junior Noel Bielaczyc
showed up to support a lecture he has
worked with since his freshman year.
"We always end up talking about (my
instructor's) concerns in class. It con-
See LEO, Page 7
0
SHUBRA OHRI
Holly Burmeister, Graduate Employee Organization Vice President, rallies lecturers yesterday afternoon outside the Fleming Administration Building before a Regents
meeting. University lecturers recently formed the Lecturers' Employee Organization and are demanding a labor contract with the University.
Regents hear student concerns
Bargain in Mojo
By Aymm Jean
Daily Staff Reporter
A characteristically staid University Board
of Regents listened yesterday as students aired
their concerns to officials whom they criticized
for being unresponsive or uncooperative.
Preceding the meeting's regular agenda,
members of the Ann Arbor and University com-
munities presented their issues to regents, Uni-
versity President Mary Sue Coleman and along
with a number of University vice presidents.
Also in attendance were two speakers sup-
porting Our Voices Count, a student group
opposed to proposed changes in the Sexual
Assault Prevention and Awareness Center.
The student-led OVC elicited the strongest
reaction amongst the meeting's attendees, as
LSA senior Mia White gave a five-minute
speech denouncing recent changes to SAPAC.
The administration is shifting SAPAC's
counseling services to Counseling and Psycho-
logical Services, located in the Michigan
Union. In addition SAFE House, the county
provider for sexual assault and domestic vio-
lence prevention services, will administer
SAPAC's 24-hour Crisis-line. Administration
officials say they made the changes - taking
effect this summer - to streamline services
and allow SAPAC to focus on education and
advocacy.
But OVC sees the changes as potentially
harmful to survivors, who will be forced to
receive counseling at CAPS, located in the
most public space on campus. Here; they run
the risk of encountering their assailant - not a
problem at SAPAC's office on North Universi-
ty Avenue, they said. "This is not simply a
change of venue or who's answering the
phone," White said at the meeting.
"The voices of the survivors have not been
heard. The voices of the University community
have not been heard."
Opponents claim that the changes are not
empowering to survivors and that their con-
cerns have been "disregarded."
After administration officials announced the
changes, SAPAC Director Kelly Cichy and
CAPS director Todd Sevig met with students to
discuss their concerns, said Vice President of
Student Affairs E. Royster Harper. The two
directors, along with associate dean of students
Stephanie Pinder-Amaker, "have made several
outreaches to students" she said.
But OVC member Clair Morrissey said this
is not necessarily true. Although she has heard
of Cichy speaking with SAPAC volunteers, the
director has not spoken with volunteers who
operate the Crisis-line, she said. These students
will be the most affected by the proposed
changes, she said.
Coleman and Harper have met with students
on this issue, but Morrissey said this interac-
tion has not been fruitful. OVC members were
present at Coleman's most recent fireside chat,
but attendees said "they weren't really listened
to," Morrissey said she was told by the atten-
dees. Regarding Harper's outreach to students,
Morrissey said the vice president "hasn't con-
tacted our group in any meaningful way."
The Lecturers' Employees Organization, a
union of University lecturers and nontenure
track faculty also spoke. LEO seeks greater job
security, universal health benefits, a living
wage and representation of University bodies
that that affect their teaching.
With lecturers teaching roughly 90 percent
See REGENTS, Page 7
Martin discusses Summer Games
ALI OLSEN/Daily
LSA senior Dayna Leplatte and LSA freshman Tonye Burutolu take advantage of
the amazingly low prices at the Mosher-Jordan Residence Hall media sale
By Lucille Vaughan
For the Daily
"It's a part of our Michigan heritage." That
was the message of University athletic director
and U.S. Olympic Committee President Bill
Martin last night, referring to the 84 Olympic
medals that University students have
won since the modern Olympic
Games began in 1896.
Martin, who is president of the U .S.
Olympic Committee, gave a presenta-
tion in the Pendleton Room of the
Michigan Union was sponsored by the
Hellenic Student Association - a
Greek cultiural roanization - and
the world's policemen," he said.
Martin, who received his MBA from the
University in 1965, was appointed to his cur-
rent position in 2000 by former University
President Lee Bollinger.
LSA senior Jessica Chaise expressed grati-
fication that the event featured such a high-
profile speaker. "I think it's exciting
that the U.S. Olympic Committee
president is also such as strong
presence on the Michigan campus,"
she said.
Martin voiced his dissatisfaction
with recent scandals involving
Olympic athletes taking perform-
!: ance-enhancing drugs. "It is
"It is the dream of the yesterday.
athlete to stand on that
podium, have someone Sis
put a medal around his or
her neck, and hear his or oe is e ni
her national anthem. o black'eligious identity
- Bill Martin
U.S. Olympic Committee President
By Michael Kan
Daily Staff Reporter
think themselves as human beings above all
else. Only through this identity can people
work together, he added.
The lecture, titled "Correcting Islam's
just a hive for community;'he said.
He also informed the audience of the ambi-
J
Blacks across America face a burden on