Tuesday, September 28,2004 Weather Opinion 4 Jason Z. Pesick says Bush divides America Sports 10 Avant contributes despite few catches BRIAN WILSON'S EPIC LOST ALBUM 'SMILE' FINDS RELEASE ... ARTS, PAGE 8 lqmwit ilwn1 ulli HI: 8 LOWN: 38 TOMORROW: 69/37 One-hundred-thirteen years ofednonalfreedom www.m ihzrandat7y.com Ann Arbor, Michigan Vol. CXIII, No. 170 02004 The Michigan Daily Controversial gay marriage ban on ballot Three thefts at U Towers By Melissa Benton and Ashley Dinges Daily Staff Reporters By Tom Szczesny For the Daily In an increasingly partisan elec- tion, an issue has landed on the Michigan ballot that may polar- ize debate even further. After a decision by the Michigan Court of Appeals earlier this month, voters will now decide if the state constitution should be amended Michigan "otes" to ban same-sex marriage. Three laws currently ban same- sex marriage within the state. However, these are open to judicial interpretation - the new amend- ment would prevent judges from ever allowing same-sex marriage to occur in Michigan -and linit those eligible for business and gov- ernment benefits. Although existing benefits pack- ages and contracts would not be affected, the amendment would not guarantee their inclusion in future * negotiations or collective bargain- ing sessions. "This amendment does three things it does not say it does," said Julius Zomper, communica- tions director for the Coalition for a Fair Michigan, an advocacy group opposing the amendment. He claims the amendment would interfere with labor unions, public universities' ability to offer ben- efits and deprive children of health care. Marlene Elwell, chair of the Cit- izens for Protection of Marriage, an advocacy group in favor the amendment, calls accusations of lost benefits "absolutely not true" and downplays their impact, saying the amendment will not affect pri- vate business. LSA senior Andrea Knittel, co- chair of a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender political activist group, Stonewall Democrats, defines the argument over benefits as the central issue in the entire debate. Her claim is that the amendment is simply "a business and civil issue." Others believe there are more pressing moral issues at stake. "The amendment will protect traditional marriage as it has stood See GAY MARRIAGE, Page 7 New commercial features wo rid- Lclass" reputation When one Eastern Michigan University stu- dent returned to his University Towers apart- ment Sunday, he was surprised to find his trash had been emptied' while he was away over the weekend. But he was even more surprised to find about $6,500 in electronics missing. . He later learned that two other apartments on the same floor were robbed. Ann Arbor Police Department deputy police chief Greg O'Dell confirmed that three apart- ments on the same floor of University Towers were broken into over the weekend. Perhaps most surprising of all, the EMU stu- dent said, was the fact that only one apartment appeared to have experienced forced entry. "The police officers said it was quite clear there was no forced entry," said the resident, who wished to remain anonymous. The resident added that the doors to the apart- ments automatically lock when the door is shut. "It had to have been somebody with a key." The resident speculated maintenance workers broke into the apartments because they recently have been doing a lot of work on one of the apart- ments that was robbed. The case is still under investigation. No one from the front desk at University Tow- ers has approached the resident to discuss the break-in or to apologize for the incident, he said. Although the resident will not lose any money because he has homeowners' insurance, he said the break-in still bothers him. "It kind of pisses me off that you're living here, and the people that work here can break into your apartment," he said. See THEFTS, Page 7 By Omayah Atassi For the Daily Hoping to emphasize what it con- siders a world-class reputation, the University has developed a new com- mercial that is airing this year during the halftime break of college foot- ball and basketball games. " u t The school decid- ed to take on the move O: project of develop- ing a new commer- our spir: cial after several alumni complained with the about the old public service announce- U ment. "PSAs usu- service ally have about a three- to four-year life span before they become outdated," University Marketing Communications Direc- tor Brett Ashley said. "It's been about four or five years since we've made the last one, so we thought it was time." Part of the initiative for the new commercial resulted from criticism of the former advertisement. University President Mary Sue Coleman said she received several e- e Jn4 mails from alumni asking her to "do something" about the ad. After viewing the older version for the first time this past year, Coleman agreed that a more modern announce- ment should be produced. "It's what people expect at Michi- gan," she said. The new ad dents begins with a shot of Earth 1, but from outer space, and the names of its stay astronauts Col. ,, David Scott, Maj. im. Alfred Worden and Col. James i.versity public Irwin appear on the screen. Announcement These names are followed by the words "Apollo 15: An all U of M crew," referring to the University alumni who made up the entire crew of NASA's 1971 mission to the moon. Then, "The Victors" plays in the background, followed by the spoken message, "Our students move on, but our spirits stay with them." Ashley said when administrators decided to make the new commer- See COMMERCIAL, Page 7 Neighbors prevent church construction RYAN WEINER/Daily Residents of University Towers enter the building yesterday evening. The building was the site of three recent apartment break-ins during the weekend. By Ann Beisch For the Daily New Life Church, with its lively music and real- life stories, has experienced skyrocketing atten- dance since 1995, and the group has pushed to expand by building a new auditorium. However, neighborhood resistance has inhibited the con- struction of this auditorium. The church has had trouble getting approval for the project from city planners. In order to accommodate increased attendance, New Life purchased the former Delta Zeta soror- ity house on Washtenaw Avenue and Hill Street in August 2002. Since buying the property, New Life has attempt- ed to build an auditorium in the acre behind the 10,000-square-foot building, said Joel Vander- Schel, an administrator with New Life. But New Life's ambitions hit a snag when city leaders rejected the group's plans for the site. After hiring an architect who drew up the site plan, New Life sent the proposal to the Depart- ment of City Planners at the Planning and Devel- opment Services. There, a nine-member planning committee voted to postpone deciding on the proj- ect three times. VanderSchel said New Life was required to obtain a site plan as well as a special exception plan because of its proximity to surrounding resi- dences, such as sororities, fraternities and co-ops. Nearby residents have caused the city to turn down the church at the planning-commission level, said Larry Pickel, the building official for the Planning and Development Services. The proposal has yet to get to the point at which the members could apply for building permits, he added. Permits are required for any new construction, alterations and additions that are larger than 200 square feet, or any repairs whose estimated cost is more than $600. Groups applying for permits must have their overall site plan approved, which takes into account neighborhoods and surrounding inhabit- ants, Pickel said. VanderSchel said he thought the- many "vocal neighbors" who have vehemently opposed the construction and complained of increased traffic and size of the construction site contributed to the city's decision. "The planning commission seems to be taking the complaints of the opposed people weightier than any other side," he said. Matt Turner, a sophomore at Washtenaw Com- munity College and resident of the co-op, "Truth See NEW LIFE, Page 7 Diag safe from unfriendly fertilizers and pesticides By Naila Moreira Daily Staff Reporter Students lounging or playing on the Diag's lush green grass may wonder whether herbicides and pes- ticides used on University grounds expose them to health risks. A team of University groundskeepers said students will not experience harmful effects from lawn chemicals. Although chemicals are used to maintain grass, plants and trees at the University, precautions are in place to protect students and the environment, said Grounds and Waste Management Director John Law- ter. He said non chemical methods of caring for plants and trees are also emphasized. Safety precautions include placing flags around recently treated areas, posting groundskeeping per- sonnel to redirect foot traffic and using only highly Turf Talk The University says it takes many precautions when using plant chemicals on the Diag All products used on the Diag can be pur- chased at local stores. Only licensed staffers apply products Flower beds, trees and turf are specifically selected to be resistent to pests and insects in order to reduce the need for pesticides fertilizer (and pesticides), and we go about it in the least harinful way possible." y~K 4' _ '