NEWS The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, January 14, 2004 - 3 THIS WEEK *L'4 0 0AlIpELdrel.M I MSA calls for Trotter House renovations I 11 1 \ 1l I-1 1 L 1 1 1 10 1 LI 1\ l I Five years ago... Michigan head football coach Lloyd Carr announced on Jan. 13 that football players Jason Brooks' and Ray Jackson were suspended for violating team rules. The suspension and announcement came in the wake of Brooks and Jack- son's alleged involvement in a fight outside the Sigma Chi fraternity at 548 S. State St. b Ten years ago... University faculty unanimously passed a new quantitative require- ment during their monthly meeting. This passage makes it mandatory that students complete three credits of quantitative reasoning in order to graduate. Classes that would fulfill the quantitative reasoning requirement involve a combination of mathemat- ical and logical components. This requirement can be fulfilled by classes across the disciplines. However, courses that contain only minimal instruction in math and logic may fulfill only half of the requirement. In an interview, LSA Associate Dean Michael Martin said one reason the committee recommended the require- ment was as a response to a decline in quantitative and computational skills of college students. He said he believes this added requirement will serve to make stu- dents graduating the University into more well-rounded students. Jan. 14, 1965 Although no names were men- tioned, the Daily learned that a group of prominent University students were responsible for the disappear- ance of the Paul Bunyan trophy. Through an intermediary who refused to divulge the names of those responsible, the Daily offered the opportunity of returning the tro- phy to the Student Publications Building quietly and unseen. But Bunyan was still missing. The State News at the Michigan State University reported an anony- mous phone call suggesting a pho- tographer be at the Michigan-Michigan State basketball game held later that week because "Paul will be there." Jan. 18, 1980 Five former Alpha Delta Phi fra- ternity members pleaded no contest on Jan. 17 to animal cruelty charges in connection with the killing and burning of their house's cat Dec. 6, 1979. Douglas Hamlin, David Froikin, Brian Dungstan, Michael Anderson and Jeffery Abrahason each faced fines up to $100, or a deferred sentencing program involving 72 hours of com- munity service, according to 15th Dis- trict Judge S. J. Elden, who presided over the hearing. The five fraternity members are free on $500 personal bonds, Elden said. The five LSA students were charged with the misdemeanor "cru- elty to animals" under the provisions of a city ordinance. Jan. 16, 1962 With one second remaining, Tom Cole connected on a free throw to give Michigan a 56-55 upset victory over a powerful Iowa squad in the Wolverines' Big Ten home opener. Don Nelson of Iowa led all scor- ers with 20 points, but the Hawkeye star ironically made two fatal mis- takes that cost Iowa the ball game. Jan. 18, 1972 After just two days of classroom use, the new Modern Language Building on East Washington Street fell victim to an onslaught of myste- rious torrents. The flood - down stairwells and through corridors - resulted from a pipe burst in a frozen sprinkler system, Plant Manager Don Wendel said. Flooding began just before 8:30 a.m., said Chuck Zimmerman, a stu- __dent in a Spanish 362 class which ! was dismissed. Zimmerman said a fire alarm went off at 8:32 a.m., but "everyone ignored it." Jan. 14, 1993 The University applied for a gov- ernment grant that would provide $125,000 a year to fund an alcohol- free nightclub on campus. "I sense a strong desire for more By Cianna Freeman Daily Staff Reporter After opening doors to University students for more than three decades, the William M. Trotter House is cur- rently in need of renovations, Michigan Student Assembly Vice President Monique Perry said at last night's MSA meeting. "William M. Trotter House is a space for students of color to feel wel- come, to feel pride in their heritage and to feel part of the University that they were traditionally left out of," Perry said. "But it is not a space where only students of color benefit." The MSA already has created a Trotter House taskforce with the hope of illustrating to students, faculty and staff the building's importance to the University community. The Trotter House originally opened its doors in 1971 as a Black Student Cultural Center. In 1981, the building became a stu- dent multicultural center. The Trotter House is facing a num- ber of difficulties, Perry said. "There is currently only a facilities director, it is not handicap accessible, there are no storm windows and it probably cannot hold more than three student groups comfortably," Perry added. While the Michigan Union and other University buildings sometimes charge for use of their facilities, the Trotter House's facilities are free to all student groups. MSA also passed a resolution to create a Code of Conduct Advisory Board, which will attempt to revise the University's disciplinary rules for students. "C-CAB focuses specifically on just amending the Statement of Stu- dent Rights and Responsibilities," C- CAB co-chair Priya Mahajan said. "The Board is allowed to propose amendments to the statement every two years." The board is reviewing the part of Statement that deals with the Ann Arbor city and campus jurisdiction, Mahajan said. "Students feel restricted, the code is more disciplinary and non-academic," she added. "The students are under state jurisdiction, Ann Arbor jurisdic- tion, and additionally the University jurisdiction." Three of the members of the board must be assembly members and the complete composition of the advisory board must include at least six students. Additionally, the chair of the board is expected to update MSA through written reports every other week. LEGACI ES Continued from Page 1 to minorities. In both 2002 and 2003, it was a deciding factor for no more than three dozen black and Hispanic applicants, according to a report by the Houston Chronicle. For this reason, legacy preferences - as opposed to race-conscious affir- mative action - are discriminatory, Boyle said. On Monday, the MCRI officially started its petition drive to end the use of race, ethnicity and other characteristics as factors in state institutions. The group was spearheaded by University of California Regent Ward Connerly and his group, the American Civil Rights Coalition. "This could be the alternative to the Connerly initiative that targets people who are already largely underprivi- leged and underrepresented," he said. By presenting his efforts as a counter-Connerly initiative, Boyle hopes to highlight the "fundamentally flawed" reasoning of the MCRI pro- posal, which he said supposes to pro- mote equal protection in a society that is unequal. But the two initiatives are similar in some ways. Boyle modeled the text of his proposed amendment on that of MCRI. Both efforts focus on elimi- nating different forms of preferential treatment. State Rep. Leon Drolet (R- Clinton Twp.), who co-chairs MCRI's steering committee, said he agrees with Boyle's belief that legacy preferences are unfair. "I personally am against any admis- sions policy not based on merit or on what someone could bring to a uni- versity," Drolet said, citing the Uni- versity's consideration of not only legacy status, but also geography. "Most people within our organization oppose them as well." MCRI's opposition to legacy pref- erences is evident. The group leaders considered adding a clause banning alumni preferential treatment in their proposed amendment, but opted not to for consistency reasons. There is, however, at least a surface distinction between the two proposals, Boyle added. "(Connerly's proposal) may force a decrease in merit, because one thing that 111 affirmative We shouldn action pro- that are mor grams rec- ognize is just with the that affir- - m a t i ve lt raises Som action is not the school.' just about numbers," he said. B o y l e believes that his proposal encourages merit, since those who benefit from an alumni affiliation are less diverse and typical- ly privileged, he said. Universities consider legacy for a number of reasons. While it may fos- ter school spirit and promote loyalty, administrators say that it also helps in raising money. According to U.S. News and World Report, the Universi- ty ranks 111th in alumni donations among the nation's top universities, with an average giving rate of 15 per- cent. Many other selective institu- tions, from Harvard to Rice University, have giving rates upwards of 30 percent. "It's obviously just a blatant appeal to alumni, who are the key donors," said LSA senior Ruben Duran, editor- in-chief of the conservative journnal Michigan Review. "Nevertheless, I wouldn't be sad to see it go." Boyle likened giving alumni special treatment to help fundraising to a form of prostitution or bribery. Alum- ni should donate because they love the school, he added. "We shouldn't do things that are morally wrong, just with the excuse that it raises some school," he said. 't do things ally wrong, excuse that e money for - David Boyle Law School alum money for the The Univer- sity gives pri- mary legacy status to any applicant whose parent or stepparent attended the University and secondary sta- tus to those whose grand- parents, sib- lings or spouses have graduated. Under the new undergraduate admisions program, applicants are judged holistically, and points are no longer used to determine characteris- tics such as race, geographic location and alumni affiliation. These attrib- utes are supposed to contribute to the school's diversity. Currently, legacy is a qualitative factor for applicants, but under the former point system, applicants were given four points out of 150. In absence of a point system, it is difficult, if not impossible, to quantify gAVICrsdMAN/Daiy Law School alum David Boyle holds his proposed ballot measure outside the Michigan Alumni Center. the extent to which legacy contributes to admission or rejection. Boyle says this is a disburbing ambiguity. But Sally Lindsley, associate direc- tor in undergraduate admissions, said that "nothing is done in isolation" and that "(legacy status) is one of many things that we look at." IDENTITY Continued from Page 1. issue. According to Nowling, there were more than 160,000 identity theft victims in 2002. "It is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States, and affects more people each year," said Nowling. "Identity theft in general is becom- ing a scare throughout the country, and the recent influx of (television) ads about the matter is an indicator," said Mike Phillips, vice president of College Republicans. Identity theft can also pose a threat to students at the University. "Students are WINTERFEST Continued from Page 1 more student leadership positions and opportunities for students. "We have a lot of people leaving our executive board," said Dory Benford, a member of the National Council of Negro Women and a LSA sophomore. Her group plans to have a cultural day at the Trotter House to teach local elementary and middle school students about Black History Month. With the new semester, groups use this opportunity to re-establish their presence with the student body. heavy online shoppers, and the many security implications in these bills should help people feel more confident in doing so," Phillips said. But not all students are optimistic about the success of the bill. "It may be beneficial, but at the same time people always find their way around the system," LSA junior Marlowe Marsh said. In addition to the bill package, a two part Senate resolution asks Congress to provide greater protec- tions against identity theft and to increase the statute of limitations for identity theft lawsuits to two years from the time the fraud is dis- covered. "I think it's important to remind peo- ple of what is going on," said Kristy Hanson, an LSA and Music school senior who was working at Winterfest to promote Arts at Michigan. Students like LSA freshman Victoria Shen used the opportunity to discover new groups. "I want to explore more to get more exposure ... I'm interested in volun- teering," Shen said. Many students, such as LSA sopho- more Leica Cerdena, believe groups and activities are a way of enriching the college experience. "It gets your mind off school and doing other things," Cerdena said. 1717 TE a ..f..,: . OUT, Correction: The Jet Propulsion Laboratory lectures tomorrow and Jan. 20 and 22 will be in the Space Research Building, room 2246. The Daily incorrectly reported the location on Page 1 in Monday's edition. wew - Do you know who your roommates are? Have you and all of your roommates looked at 4 - 5 units? Have you done your homework and researched the landlord/property manager? Have you read the lease and had Student Legal Services/ Off-Campus Housing Program help you figure out what it means? Did you remember that you can try to negotiate clauses in your lease with the landlord/property manager?