Friday, February 20, 2004 Opinion 4 Louie Meizlish on key issues to watch Arts 5 An in-depth look at "My Architect" Women's hoops loses at Indiana 65-52; have dropped seven of last ei If ictot. 4a Uage Weather Hk 43 (W35 TOMORROW: Friday Focus 10 Forest Casey explores the South One-hundred-thirteen years ofeditorialfreedom 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