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©2004 The Michigan Daily
wwwmichi gmidail y.corm
Ann Arbor, Michigan Vol. CXIII, No. 133
Mugging
occurs in
off-campus
block
By Ashley Dunes
Daily Staff Reporter
A 34-year-old man was mugged early
yesterday morning on Washtenaw
Avenue near Observatory Street, accord-
ing to Ann Arbor Police Department
reports.
The victim was walking near the 1300
block of Washtenaw near Mack Street at
about 2 a.m., on his way to a gas station
on Catherine Street to buy cigarettes.
Two men, one of whom he identified as
his ex-wife's boyfriend, approached him.
"There were two subjects - one
asked to bum cigarettes. (The victim)
said no, continued walking, and was
jumped from behind," AAPD Lt. Mark
Hoomstra said.
Both men began to hit the victim on
the back of his head with their hands,
and one stole money from him,
although he could not identify which
man took the cash. The victim report-
ed feeling dizzy, but did not receive
medical treatment.
"They reached into his sweatpants,
removed his wallet, took the $100 from
it, threw the wallet on the ground and
took off running," Hoornstra said.
The victim described one suspect as a
white male, about 6-foot-1 in height, 20
to 25 years old, with short brown hair
and a muscular build. The other suspect
was a 6-feet-3 black male, also with a
muscular build. AAPD reports do not
indicate which suspect is the boyfriend
of the victim's ex-wife.
"The victim recognized one sus-
pect as his ex-wife's boyfriend, so
this is not a stranger-related thing
here," Hoornstra said.
Despite two other muggings report-
ed since April 3 - one in downtown
Ann Arbor and one near McKinley
Avenue - Hoornstra said the incident
does not seem to be related to others,
because the victim was able to identi-
fy one of the suspects.
Hoornstra said the incident is still
being investigated by AAPD detectives.
Although the incident occurred near
campus, Hoornstra said the AAPD does
not think any of the persons involved are
affiliated with the University. "It does
not look as though this person has any
affiliation with the University either. I
don't think any of them do. Even though
he is living in the 1300 block of Washte-
naw, which is primarily the student area,
(the report) doesn't show him as being a
student at U of M" Hoornstra said.
The victim reported the incident to
the police at about 2:05 a.m. yesterday.
The AAPD cannot release the names of
the suspects until after they have been
arrested and arraigned.
American bandstand
Petition for
initiative
voted down
State board rescinds its approval
of MCRI ballot initiative petition
Clay Wachholtz plays a trombone solo in the song "Walk Don't Run" during the Jazz Lab Ensemble
performance at Rackham Auditorium last night.
Lawwouldprotect 'U'
investment ifomaio
By Aymar Jean
Daily Staff Reporter
A state agency formally invali-
dated a petition to end race-con-
scious policies in Michigan
yesterday. The decision follows an
order made by a state circuit court
last month, stating that the word-
ing of the petition misleads signers
and should be invalidated.
Before reviewing nine other
petitions, the State Board of Can-
vassers - a four-member, biparti-
san government body that approves
petitions for ballot initiatives -
rescinded its approval of the peti-
tion for the Michigan Civil Rights
Initiative.
The board's decision could hurt
MCRI's campaign. After Judge
Paula Manderfield ruled that the
board should not have validated
the petition last December, MCRI
decided it would await an appeal to
the decision and continue to col-
lect signatures.
But in light of this decision, its
plans are less certain. MCRI cam-
paign manager Tim O'Brien said
yesterday, "The question is, 'What
do we do now?"'
In light of yesterday's Board
decision, O'Brien said MCRI will
consider revising its petition. But
the group will wait until the
appeals court rules.
Mansfield wrote that although
the petition could drastically
change or nullify the civil rights
article of the state constitution,
MCRI did not make clear its intent
to change the exisiting amend-
ment.
MCRI seeks to amend the con-
stitution to ban "race and gender
preferences." If the group obtains
317,757 signatures by July 6, reg-
istered voters will decide on the
November ballot whether to elimi-
nate race-conscious policies in
public education, employment and
contracting.
Yesterday's unanimous decision
adheres to the court order, even
though at least two board members
still stand by their initial approval
of the form in December. Last
year, when the board validated the
petition, three members -- two
Republicans and one Democrat -
voted in favor of the form, while
one Democrat abstained.
Attorney General Mike Cox, the
board's lawyer, has appealed the
court ruling that ordered the board
to invalidate the petition. If he is
successful, the petition will be
valid.
A ruling on Cox's appeal could
come in a few days, MCRI and
BAMN officials said.
George Washington, the attorney
representing BAMN, which origi-
nally sued the board, said, "Basi-
cally, I think it hurts the MCRI. It's
the second decision in a row disap-
proving their petition. ... I think
they're going to have to redo it and
tell people the truth."
With less than three months
until the petition signatures are
due, MCRI may have some diffi-
culty accomplishing its goal if it
must redo the form. A final deci-
sion on the petition could be weeks
away, since BAMN promises to
take the case to the State Supreme
Court if it loses in the state Court
of Appeals. The high court, howev-
er, may decide not hear the case
and let the appellate court ruling
stand.
BAMN has also tried to stop
Cox's appeal because Cox did not
consult with the board before
choosing to appeal, but that
motion has since fallen through.
O'Brien said the group is finan-
cially able to create and redistrib-
ute new petitions, but getting the
signatures will be strategically
more difficult.
"Logistically is more the ques-
tion, particularly because of still
making it onto the ballot this fall,"
he said.
MCRI will wait until the appellate
court rules. "Our intent is to look at
the Court of Appeals decision very
closely," MCRI Director of Outreach
Chetly Zarko said. Zarko added that
Manderfield's ruling was a "stretch"
because it greatly expanded the
responsibilities of the board - virtu-
ally requiring board members to be
constitutional lawyers. An appeals
See MCRI, Page 3
Bil provides increased confldentiality for
corporations receiving 'U'funds
By David Branson
Daily Staff Reporter
The University and state Legislature are looking to amend
disclosure laws in an effort to reduce company concerns
regarding the privacy of their relationship with the University.
A bill recently passed by the state House of Representa-
tives and Senate will provide increased confidentiality for
corporations receiving University investments, claiming it
will create a more competitive economy in the state by
allowing companies to keep secret their business relation-
ships. Senate Bill 1032 is currently before Gov. Jennifer
Granholm, who is expected to decide whether to sign it by
April 20.
Sen. Valde Garcia (R-Howell), the bill's chief sponsor, col-
laborated with University officials earlier this year in an
attempt to create an amendment to the Confidential Research
and Investment Act, which specifies that investments held by
public entities must be made publicly available. The amend-
ment would change the disclosure policy the University has
with its corporate investments, allowing the University to
withhold its investment portfolios from public inquiry. The
new law makes the act consistent with existing laws regard-
ing pension, which are also not disclosed.
University spokeswoman Julie Peterson said the economic
benefits of the bill and adjustments to disclosure exemptions
have helped generate the legislation's bipartisan support.
"And (it would) ensure that the same protections afford-
ed to public employee pension funds in Michigan would
also apply to the public university investment funds,"
Peterson said.
Previously, corporations had the ability to use the Free-
dom of Information Act to access other corporations' invest-
ment portfolios and strategies, considered by law to be trade
secrets. Access to these secrets placed venture corporations
See INVESTMENT, Page 3
Stereotypes
in comedy: harm
or humor?
By Michael Kan
Daily Staff Reporter
Engineering sophomore Calvin Cheung is convinced there
is just no way people cannot believe the ethnic stereotypes
they watch on TV
"Most people tell themselves to not believe stereotypes. But
they do because they always see it, it's in the back of their
minds," Cheung said.
Like Cheung, many University students immerse them-
selves in today's pop culture. In doing so, they also expose
themselves to the comedic ethnic and sexual stereotypes
prevalent in the entertainment industry.
Recently, several minority student groups on campus have
voiced concerns, protesting the offensive stereotypes. Yet
while some action is being taken, some University members
say stereotyping in both entertainment and life is unavoidable.
They say the larger question is, what are the effects of living
with these stereotypes? Do people believe in the stereotypes
they see?
Cheung said people often accept them, because the stereo-
types amuse them, and gradually people subconsciously
Honors to emphasize book
program for new students
By Lucille Vaughan with the changes in the Kick-Off. "In engage but not overwhelm incoming
Daily Staff Reporter the recent past (the book) hasn't had students. "What we have looked for in
Every year, administrators mail a
selected work to incoming Honors stu-
dents, in hopes of promoting academic
dialogue among them when they arrive
at the University. Honors administra-
tors said they are planning to make this
year's Honors book a more central part
of the program.
This summer, incoming students to
the LSA Honors Program will receive
a copy of "Faster: The Acceleration of
Just About Everything," by author
James Gleick, to take along to the
beach or on a long family vacation.
University Honors administrators
recently announced their choice of the
book, which explores the accelerating
pace of modern life.
Honors Program Director, Stephen
Darwall said students, faculty and staff
will have the opportunity to talk about
the book in small groups at Honors
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-I- W,---
an obvious function in the program,"
he said. "I suspect fewer students read
it than would have read it."
Meanwhile, Honors Program Assis-
tant Director Donna Wessel Walker
said she has considered the input of
the past is books that are substantial,
but not too heavy for summer reading,
interesting and engaging, but not too
controversial or offensively partisan,"
she said.
Darwall said
Honors students and
feels the revamped
Kick-Off will be
more beneficial to
them. "Students told
us that they missed
the opportunity to
talk in a substantive
way about the book,"
she said.
Wessel Walker
said the Honors
book program began
in 2000 to promote
dialogue among new
students. "We
noticed some other
he ole point
we're trying to get
across in the
Honors Program
is the value of
intellectual
community.'
- Stephen Darwall
Honors Program director
a connection to the
University has been
important in the past
for choosing an
author. "We were
trying to combine
two things - a
Michigan author
who would be avail-
able to talk to stu-
dents at Honors
Kick-Off," he said.
"The other factor is
to get interesting
books that will be
thought-provoking
and stimulate con-
versation."
Comedian Dave Chappelle performs on stage at the Laugh
Factory in New York City for its pre-opening on April 3.
He further explained that stereotyping in itself is not nega-
tive - it's just natural.
People use stereotypes to reduce the effort involved in think-
ing about something, he added.
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