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One-hundred fourteen years of editoridfreedom
www.mihigandaily.com Ann Arbor, Michigan Vol. CXV, No. 89 ®2005 The Michigan Daily
$20m
given to
Judaic
'Studies
By Farayha Arrine
Managing News Editor
The College of Literature, Science,
and the Arts received its largest gift ever
yesterday when real estate developer
Samuel Frankel donated $20 million to
the center that already bears his name.
The $20 million, given to the Jean and
Samuel Frankel Center for Judaic Stud-
ies, will go toward creating the Frankel
Institute for Advanced Judaic Studies
- a program within the Frankel Cen-
ter where visiting professors will con-
duct research on the "history, culture,
literature, and religion of the Jews from
antiquity to the present," according to a
University press release.
Because the purpose of the donation
was to create an endowment for the hir-
ing of faculty, all of the money will be
used to bring 14 scholars from around
the country and the world to conduct
research at the new center, said Nancy
Connell, a University spokeswoman.
The hiring process will not begin
until next year, and Connell said it is too
early to know which professors the Uni-
versity plans to pursue.
Although the donation will not affect
many students directly, as visiting pro-
fessors will primarily be concerned
with conducting research, Connell said
students will benefit from the money by
learning about the professors' research
and having access to them as resources.
The University hopes to benefit from
the donation on a larger scale by making
the center the largest and best of its kind
in the country.
"While almost every other program
in the country has the resources to
bring one or possibly two visiting Jew-
ish studies professors to campus for a
semester or even a year, we will soon
have the ability to host 14 scholars
for an entire academic year - every
year - to share, debate and test ideas
in ways that will advance knowledge
in the many fields making up Jewish
studies," said Todd Endelman, director
of the center.
According to the University, more
than 1,000 students take courses offered
through the Judaic Studies center every
semester. LSA junior Jessica Evans,
who just switched her major to Judaic
Studies, said many people do not under-
stand the purpose of studying Judaism
or Jewish culture because they are not
aware of the rich traditions and histori-
cal importance of the religion.
"People always think of the Holo-
caust, but there's so much more in (Jew-
ish) history that needs to be learned,"
she said.
The Frankels have maintained a
relationship with the University for
many years, beginning with an ini-
tial $2 million donation in 1988 to
fund the Judaic Studies center that is
named after them. The Frankels' son
Stanley and his wife Maxine are vice
and co-chair respectively of Michigan
Difference, University President Mary
Sue Coleman's campaign to raise $2.5
billion for the University in private
donations.
A2 News chief works as scab
Head editor, others
were called in to
temporarily replace
striking employees
By Karl Stampfl
Daily Staff Reporter
Employees at the Youngstown Vin-
dicator, an Ohio newspaper, confirmed
yesterday that the Ann Arbor News's top
editor, Ed Petykiewicz, and Managing
Sports Editor Jim Knight worked for the
Vindicator while its permanent employ-
ees were on strike.
At least three and possibly four
Ann Arbor News reporters and editors
worked at the Youngstown paper, said
Debora Shaulis, vice president of the
local Newspaper Guild, a union that rep-
resents 179 striking newspaper workers
in Youngstown.
Shaulis said the union has confirmed
that sports copy editor Dave Holzman
also worked for the Vindicator, and sus-
pects but has not confirmed that sports
writer Antoine Pitts did as well.
Yesterday was day 100 of the union's
strike against the Vindicator. After their
two-year contract with the paper ended
on Nov. 16, about 19 newsroom employ-
ees, circulation managers and delivery
drivers left their jobs, demanding higher
wages and better benefits.
Vindicator management, which did
not return calls from The Michigan
Daily, claims the paper has operated in
the red for seven years and that accept-
ing the union's proposals would ruin the
paper financially.
Petykiewicz and Knight did not return
calls, and Ann Arbor News Publisher
David Sharp said he would not comment
on the issue.
According to Shaulis, the Ann Arbor
News staffers served two-week terms
and each returned to Ann Arbor last
week. They made $20 per hour and $30
per hour for overtime, including free
lodging, gas mileage and a $75-per-day
stipend, in addition to their salaries from
their regular papers. Over half of the
union workers make less than $9 per
hour.
"This is just gravy for them," Shau-
lis said about the replacement workers,
whom she referred to as scabs.
Striking employees are making about
$300 a week in strike benefits.
"It's hard, but we all realize you have
to fight for what's right and take the hit
for the future,"Shaulis said.
The Vindicator has not met with the
striking staff since Jan. 18.
"The Guild's been ready to bargain,
but they say they've made their best
and final offer," Shaulis said. "If this
was their best offer, I don't know what
to do, because it's terrible. We can't live
with it."
Shaulis added that Vindicator Gen-
eral Manager Mark Brown is bringing in
See SCAB, Page 7A
ELEVENTH TIME'S
A CHARM
Dearborn student
govt. pushes for
Israel divestment
Arab Student Union
wants committee to study
moral implications of
investments in Israel
By Michael Kan
Daily News Editor
While campaigns to divest from
Israel at the University's Ann Arbor
campus have so far gone nowhere, an
outside initiative aims to ignite the
movement once again. The student gov-
ernment of the University's Dearborn
campus voted yesterday to recommend
the University divest from companies
involved with the Israeli occupation of
Palestinian territory.
Citing international organizations
such as the United Nations, which have
deemed the occupation illegal under
international law, the Student Govern-
ment Senate unanimously passed the
resolution.
The resolution urges the University's
Board of Regents - which presides
over the Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint
campuses - to establish a committee
to investigate the moral implications of
the University's investment in companies
"which directly support and benefit from
the ongoing illegal Israeli occupation."
Sponsored by the Dearborn campus's
Arab Student Union, the resolution was
introduced to SG yesterday through a pre-
sentation detailing the human rights vio-
lations and illegal practices of the Israeli
occupation. The divestment issue will be
on the student government's agenda in its
town-hall meeting on March 10, where
the body will seek student and faculty
input. Members of SG and ASU declined
to comment further on the initiative.
Following the recommendation, Uni-
versity spokeswoman Julie Peterson said
administrators do not believe the finan-
cial investments in companies affiliated
with the Israeli occupation represent a
conflict of interest with the University's
goals.
"The University has divested stock
just twice in its history. These decisions
were reached only after sustained, Uni-
versity-wide support," Peterson said in a
written statement.
"In both instances, faculty-led com-
mittees prepared a compelling case
that such investments were antithetical
to the basic mission and values of the
University. These conditions do not exist
with respect to divestment from Israel,
and there are no plans to ask the Board
of Regents to pursue divestment."
Similar resolutions have been intro-
duced, but not passed, in the Michigan
Student Assembly. Most recently, the
pro-Palestinian group Students Allied for
Freedom and Economic Equality spon-
sored a resolution at an MSA meeting in
2003, but the assembly voted against it.
MSA President Jason Mironov said
he would not comment on SG's initiative
until he had seen the resolution.
Israeli Students Organization Presi-
dent and LSA freshman Or Shotan said
the current effort by SG will only work
to impede the ongoing peace process in
the Middle East.
"I think when there is a time for peace,
See ISRAEL, Page 7A
RYAN VWEINER / Daily
Michigan players, Including 1 Ron Coleman (24), celebrate as they take a double-digit lead to
the locker room at halftime during the Wolverines' 63-48 victory over Penn State yesterday.
Graduates may hold walkout in late March
By Ekjyot Saini
Daily Staff Reporter
In a closed meeting last night, the Graduate
Employees' Organization discussed and over-
whelmingly approved a list of demands the union
wants implemented to avoid a strike. GEO's cur-
rent contract with the University, which has been in
effect for three years, expires today.
"We want to put more pressure on the Universi-
ty, but (no action will be taken) for another month,"
said GEO President Dave Dobbie.
Ballots will be sent out by mail to all members of
the union in order to decide whether they approve a
one-day walkout on March 24, Dobbie said. Anoth-
er membership meeting will be held the day before
that to assess progress before going through with an
approved walkout.
"If after a walkout, we still were unable to come
to an agreement with the administration, we would
consider going on an open-ended strike beginning
April 4," Dobbie said.
The strike platform that was approved states
that unless substantial gains are made in the stipu-
lated areas of the contract, a strike or walkout will
take place. Strides have been made at the bargain-
ing table recently with the University's approval of
GEO's proposal to have language prohibiting dis-
crimination on the basis of gender identity and gen-
der expression included in the contract.
Last night, University Provost Paul Courant sent
an e-mail to all students, faculty and staff that was
intended to reaffirm the University's commitment
to protecting the rights of transgender individuals.
The e-mail indicated that a 6th U.S. Circuit Court
of Appeals ruling prohibiting sex discrimination
encompasses gender identity and gender expression
as well.
However, both sides continue to remain far apart
See WALKOUT, Page 7A
Levine enters sparse
'MSA presidential race
Student general counsel
names student tenants' rights
as his top priority for next
year's MSA session
By Donn M. Fresard
Daily News Editor
With two days remaining before the filing deadline
MSA president.
Following the dissolution of last year's dominant
party, Students First, and the demise of the Univer-
sity Party last year, Students 4 Michigan - a party
consisting largely of former members of Students First
- may face little opposition in this year's election.
Although Defend Affirmative Action Party campaign
manager Kate Stenvig is expected to file as a presiden-
tial candidate for the third year in a row, no indepen-
dent presidential candidates have yet emerged.
Levine said he will run on a platform of "protect-
Voters reject
jail proposal
By Leslie Rott
Daily Staff Reporter
Washtenaw County residents voted down Proposal A,
which would approve a millage to expand the county jail,
by 63 to 37 percent, leaving county officials to rethink the
proposal. Only 10 percent, 25,512, of the county's 256,305
registered voters turning out for the election.
Although the measure failed in every municipality,
it came close to passing in Ann Arbor.
The proposal was designed to solve the problem of
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