Monday, September 20, 2004 Opinion 4A Dan Adams says Bush is decisive and wrong E MICHIGAN SURVIVES THE AZTECS, 24-21 ... SPORTSMONDAY, PAGE lB Arts 8A Bernie Mac strikes out with "Mr. 3000" Weather 76 T.OWg: 46 TOMORROW One-hundred-thirteen years of editorial/freedom www.michirandaily. com Ann Arbor, Michigan Vol. CXIII, No. 164 02004 The Michigan Daily ELECTIONS '04 MSA signing up voters in dorms By Tina Hlldreth For the Daily Starting today, students living in residence halls will have unexpect- ed visitors. In an effort to increase student voter turnout, the Michigan Student Assembly and the Residence Halls Association are teaming up to get students involved in the democratic process. Voice Your Vote, a standing com- mission of MSA that works to raise voter participation, will be sending trained volunteers door-to-door in the residence halls, registering new voters, providing information about the candidates and encouraging stu- dents to get out their opinions at the polls. "Our goal is to get to the folks on campus that might not take the time to register to vote as they are walk- ing by (voter registration tables) on the Diag," said Pete Woiwode, an LSA senior and co-chair of the Voice Your Vote Commission. Students have mixed opinions concerning Voice Your Votes entrance into their rooms. ' LSA freshman Sarah Benatar, who lives in West Quad Residence Hall, said, "It's a good idea, as long as if you say 'No' they don't keep banging on your door." Sofia Salazar, an LSA freshman who lives in South Quad Residence Hall, said if no one went around ask- ing students if they were registered, students would forget to register in the first place. "(Registering) is a hassle," she said. Other students had less favorable opinions of the campaign. Engineering freshman Shahid Ali, who lives in Mosher-Jordan Residence Hall, said the campaign sounds annoying. "If I wanted to (register to vote), I'd go out and do it myself." He also said that if they knocked on his door, "I don't think I'd open it." MSA and RHA have clashed in the past, when students campaign- ing for MSA representative seats were kicked out of the residence halls last year. RHA and the University Hous- ing Office have a standing policy that any person running for publicly elected office - be it president, governor or student offices - may campaign in the residence halls, provided that they follow carefully outlined protocol, including car- rying proper photo identification, calling between designated hours and refraining from doors marked "No Soliticing." Last year MSA campaigners were asked to leave when they violated these procedures, failing to produce photo identification and bothering students who had posted no solicit- ing signs. "If you allow elected officials to campaign in residence halls, you have to provide a mechanism for students to be able to vote," said LSA senior and RHA president Amy Keller. After last year's incident, RHA and MSA have worked to repair their relationship, coming together See VOTING, Page 7A TOP HONORS 'U' to battle alcohol abuse by students. Pograms will tra in hall directors, health staff to spot drinking problems By Alex Garivaltis For the Daily Encouraging students to think more care- fully about their drinking habits, the Uni- versity will begin a program this month to train residence hall directors and Univer- sity Health Service staffers to help students determine whether they are drinking too much.y Patrice Flax, coor- dinator of the Uni- "Lots of stud versity's Alcohol and Other Drug Preven- . use alcohol ( tion Program, said one of the goals of idea of the in the program, called BASICS, or Brief others arourn Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students, is increasing the num- Associate Directoi ber of qualified peo- ple on campus that are available to discuss students' alcohol use with them. Greg Merritt, associate director of Univer- sity Housing, said some of the University's 28 residence hall directors will be trained to hold counseling sessions with students, and the remainder will be taught to identify troubled individuals and refer them to such counseling. He said the program will aim specifically to curb the amount of "heavy episodic drinking"'that occurs on campus. "We'll create an assessment tool to help idl r us know how (students are) drinking," he said. The hall directors, many of whom hold master's degrees and retain permanent positions within University Housing, will be trained to meet with students for screen- ing and counseling sessions that will last 50 minutes each. Merritt said BASICS is "another tool in the toolbox" that hall directors have to help students with alcohol problems. Schools that ents who already use the pro- gram include Ohio on't have an State and Cornell Universities. The ipact to the Massachusetts Insti- ,c ttute of Technology, I them. which also uses the program, won an Greg Merritt award for the chang- Housing es that BASICS pro- University Housing duced on campus. Some University students are skeptical that the program will reduce drinking on campus. Engineering freshman Adam Chin said he would encourage friends with drinking problems to take part in the program, but said he wasn't convinced BASICS would be effective. "I think it's a step, but nothing will hap- pen unless the kids (who drink excessively) step up," he said. Chin added drinking is widespread throughout the residence halls, See ALCOHOL, Page 7A FOREST CASEY/Daily nvocation for University student-athletes ended with a rendition of "The Victors" at na on Saturday. Film weighs media s view of Mideast Media on media The film "Peace, Propaganda, and the Promised Land" examines the American media's biases in covering the Middle East conflict. The film analyzed, for example, how some news outlets cover an Israeli vic- tim of a bombing in greater details than a Palestinian victim of an Israeli attack. By Omayah Atassi and Elizabeth Belts For the Daily What you see on the evening news about the Middle East depends on what side of the Atlantic Ocean you're sitting on. "Peace, Propaganda, and the Promised Land," a film that criticizes the American media's influ- ence on public opinion related to the Israeli-Pal- estinian conflict, was shown at the Michigan Theater by the Ann Arbor Middle East Film Society yesterday. Michelle Kinnucan, a member of the society, said that the group decided to screen this film to scope out the community's interest in the issue. The film combines both American and British TV news clips and compares the choice of words and visuals that depict the events may sway public opinion. For instance, the film outlined how some Amer- ican news organizations cover the Israeli victims of a suicide bombing in greater depth than a Pales- tinian victim of an Israeli military attack. In con- trast, the British press presents both sides more equally, the film argues. The film also contained observations from communication analysts, journalists and political activists who critiqued American media cover- age. Some people said they attended the event to learn more about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "I'm Jewish, and I've learned about Israel through other Jewish people," University alum Lev Grossman-Spivack said. "I want to develop my own understanding of the conflict instead of basing my understanding on what people have fed me." See FILM, Page 7A Broadway Bridges reopen after $31M construction WILLA TRACOSAS/ Daily The Broadway Bridges received a ceremony mark- ing their reopening Friday. By Tanu Chaturvedi and Kelly McDermott For The Daily The Broadway Bridges received a ceremonial reopening, as neighborhood residents attending the event mingled with city officials, including Mayor John Hieftje in Broadway Park on Friday. The bridge and the park are part of the Ann Arbor Broadway Bridges Reconstruction Project, which was completed this summer after years of planning and construction. The $31.2 million project, described by Hieftje as part of a series of civic improvements, included the reconstruction of the bridges. The process involved demolishing, rebuilding and improving the two original bridges, one over Depot Street and one crossing the Huron River. In addition, the project added handicap-accessible paths and lighting improvements to Broadway Park, as well as other improvements to Fuller Park and Depot and Carey Streets. The need for reconstruction came to light in the early 1990s when it became clear the bridges were deteriorat- ing, said Bill Wheeler, Director of Ann Arbor Trans- portation Services. In 1996, the city applied for federal funding, conducted an environmental assessment in order to insure safety of the nearby natural life and formed a citizens advisory committee. Construction See BRIDGES, Page 7A China completes first orderly transfer of power as Hu steps up BEIJING (AP) - Hu Jintao became the undis- puted leader of China as the country completed its first orderly transfer of power in the commu- nist era yesterday with the departure of former President Jiang Zemin from his top military post - giving a new generation a freer hand to run the world's most populous nation. Jiang, whose term was to have run until 2007, resiened at a meeting of the ruling Communist rural poverty. Hu, 61, replaced Jiang as party leader in late 2003 and as presi- dent early this year. But the 78-year-old Jiang, who led China for 13 years, retained influ- ence by holding onto Hu, 61, replaced Jiang as party leader in late 2003 and as president early this year. people." There was no immediate indication why Jiang chose to cut short his term. But it might suggest that he felt he had succeeded in ensuring his political legacy - especially the addition of the pro-capitalist "Three Represents" ideology that he championed to the party's constitution - and the interests of his family and allies. The ideology invites entrepreneurs into the H u 's on first Jiang Zemin, former Chinese president and Communist Party leader, relinquished his last post as head of the military to Hu Jin- tao, current president of China. C