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www.michigandaily.com Ann Arbor, Michigan Vol. CXIII, No. 124 @2004 The Michigan Daily
SWoman denies rape at SAE house
Alleged victim says fraternity z'
innocent ofany wrongdoing
By Donn M. Fresard
Daily Staff Reporter
The alleged victim of a reported sexual
assault at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraterni-
ty house said yesterday the act in question
was consensual and she does not intend to
press charges.
The Ann Arbor Police Department could not
confirm yesterday whether the investigation
into the incident, which reportedly occurred
last Friday, had been stopped. Detectives
assigned to the case could not be reached for
comment.
The female student, who chose to remain
anonymous, said she had not talked to the
AAPD since the original interview after the
incident. The police spoke with her Satur-
day morning.
SAE President Dustin Nelson initially
said the alleged victim told the AAPD yes-
terday that the act was consensual. When
later told that the alleged victim had not
spoken with the AAPD, Nelson said a frater-
nity member who was a friend of one of the
alleged victim's friends had given him the
information.
"From what I understand there was complete
consent between the two individuals involved,"
Nelson added.
Police officers reported Monday that the
alleged victim did not remember the details of
the incident.
In an interview yesterday, the woman refuted
some details of the police report.
"The truth is that we snuck into the party,
and SAE was not responsible for anything that
happened that night," she said. The police had
reported that the woman and her friends were
allowed into an unregistered party although
they were not on the guest list.
She also said her friend - whom police
said had been pulled out of the room where
the incident took place - had not been phys-
ically removed from the room upon finding
her. "The person just shut the door in front of
her and didn't let her enter," she said.
"I do not approve of (SAE) being kicked off
campus because of this event," she added.
Nelson said SAE members have cooperated
with AAPD detectives, and plan to continue
doing so.
"We take this very seriously and it's not a
reflection on who we are as a group of broth-
ers," he said.
Nelson added that the SAE member involved
in the incident was a pledge.
Cagers feast on
Ducks,
will play
Rutgers tomorrow
By Bob Hunt
Daily Sports Writer
NEW YORK - Last September, before an
appeal of a second year of postseason sanctions
was accepted, the Michigan basketball team
thought it was one year away from having any
opportunity of playing postseason basketball.
Now, it stands just one win away from a banner.
Michigan dominated Oregon 78-53 in the
semifinals of the NIT last night at Madison
Square Garden by playing one of its most com-
plete games of the season. The Wolverines will
now compete for their first recognized champi-
onship since 1989, when they won the national
title. They forfeited their 1997 NIT champi-
onship and other titles after following NCAA
sanctions regarding program violations in the
mid-1990s. After winning an appeal with the
NCAA last fall, the team was allowed to com-
pete this postseason.
"It's big for us," senior forward Bernard Robin-
son said. "I think making it to the championship
game speaks volumes for our team and the suc-
cess that we have been able to accomplish."
The Wolverines took control in the first half
thanks to excellent interior defense and outside
shooting. The Ducks could not get anything going
on offense inside the 3-point line from anyone
other than second-team All-American forward
Luke Jackson. Outside of Jackson, the only sig-
nificant opportunities Oregon could muster came
off the fast break. The Wolverines forced 16 Ore-
gon turnovers leading to 28 points, and held the
Ducks to 34.5 percent from the field.
"I think we played tremendous half-court
defense today," Robinson said. "We knew how
important it was to defend the 3-point line, so I
think we were getting them off that, and our big
men were helping us."
Jackson scored seven consecutive points to
give Oregon a 17-15 lead in the first half, but that
would be the last lead the Ducks would hold.
Michigan would then go on a 24-7 run that
included six 3-pointers. The Wolverines were able
to get open shots by moving the ball around the
perimeter and getting the ball inside. Michigan
See DUCKS, Page 10
RYAN WEINER/Daily
ABOVE: Michigan sophomore guard Daniel Horton celebrates a Michigan run as Oregon senior Jay Anderson rubs his face in frustration. The
Wolverines beat Oregon 78-53 in the NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden yesterday. RIGHT: Michigan sophomore forward Graham Brown takes
a contested shot over Oregon's Ian Crosswhite.
AFFiRMATivE ACTION
State to appeal.
petition decision
Mayor discusses
growing A2 sprawl
By Aymar Jean
Daily Staff Reporter
Attorney General Mike Cox will
appeal Thursday's circuit court deci-
sion, which effectively invalidated the
petition forms used by a group trying
to end race-conscious policies in
Michigan.
But BAMN, which won the case,
says Cox, an outspoken opponent of
such policies, is acting on his own
bias and not the wishes of his
clients.
Judge Paula Manderfield of Ing-
ham County ruled Thursday the
State Board of Canvassers, Cox's
client, must rescind its approval of
the Michigan Civil Rights Initia-
tive's petition form.
She wrote that MCRI's amend-
ment is trying to "alter or abrogate"
an existing article of the state con-
stitution guaranteeing equal protec-
tion under the law. This article is
illegally missing from the wording
of MCRI's form, she ruled.
MCRI is spearheading a ballot
initiative to amend the constitution
to ban "preferences based on race,
ethnicity and gender."
If the group receives 317,757 sig-
natures by July 6, the question on
racial preferences will appear on
the November ballot.
The case will now go to the state
Court of Appeals. George Washing-
ton, BAMN's lawyer, said a ruling
is likely within the next few weeks.
If BAMN, Washington's client,
loses at the state court of appeals,
the state court of appeals, they will
take the case to the state Supreme
See MCRI, Page 2
By Kristen Przybyiski
Daily Staff Reporter
Urban sprawl is the next great civil
rights fight, said Conan Smith, Michi-
gan Environmental Council land pro-
grams director. Smith was one of five
panelists discussing the growing prob-
lem in the state at the Michigan Union
last night.
Students for Public Interest
Research Group in Michigan hosted
the discussion, titled "Sprawled Out:
The Fight to Stop Sprawl in Michigan
and Ann Arbor." The event was a part
of the University's Earth Week events.
Four of the panelists gave brief
speeches addressing their own
involvement in the fight against urban
sprawl - the decline in urban density
and loss of open space due to people
moving farther and farther outside of
urban areas. They also fielded ques-
tions from the audience.
The panelists mentioned the dam-
aging effects of urban sprawl on the
environment and concentrated on
encouraging students and other Ann
Arbor residents to become politically
active in improving the condition.
Each of the panelists pushed
increased density in urban housing as
a means of curbing sprawl.
"If we don't keep our cities strong,
we're going to keep spreading out into
the country," Smith said.
"We recommend that the city
increase density by 50 percent," histo-
ry Prof. Matthew Lassiter said.
Ann Arbor Mayor John Heiftje said
increasing density is a goal for the
city.
"We plan to build 1,000 new hous-
ing units in Ann Arbor in the next
decade and 2,500 more by 2020," said
Heiftje. "We're going to build twice as
much as we have in the past decade."
The mayor stressed that promoting
density would be in the interest of pre-
See SPRAWL, Page 3
JORDAN STECKLOFF/Daily
Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje and City Councilmember Jean Carlberg speak about
urban sprawl in the Michigan Union Ballroom yesterday
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
MSA addresses new faculty-student policy
By Cianna Freeman
a student, then the staff member is
educated on the policy.
and 13 commissions. Committees can
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