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One-hundredfourteen years ofeditoralfreedom
www.michkgandaily.com Ann Arbor, Michigan Vol. CXV, No. 99 ®2005 The Michigan Daily
Ethnic
remarks
stir MSA
* elections
Maize Rage Party, an
offshoot of the fan club,
faces controversy a week
prior to elections
By Donn M. Fresard
*Daily News Editor
Students reacted with varying
degrees of concern after the cam-
paign manager of a party running in
next week's Michigan Student Assem-
bly elections questioned whether it is
appropriate that the leading presiden-
tial candidates for MSA and LSA Stu-
dent Government are both Jewish.
Carl Pogoncheff, campaign man-
ager for the Maize Rage Party, brought
up as a concern during an endorse-
ment interview on Monday with The
Michigan Daily's editorial board that
Jesse Levine and Andrew Yahkind,
the Students 4 Michigan Party presi-
dential candidates for MSA and LSA-
SG respectively, were "from the same
fraternity and ethnic background."
When asked to clarify, Pogoncheff said
Levine and Yahkind are both "white
and Jewish."
All six of the Maize Rage Party's
candidates for MSA are white.
The Maize Rage Party is an offshoot
of the Maize Rage basketball fan group,
composed of some of the fan group's
members but not directly controlled by
its leadership.
Ryan Shinska, head of the Maize
Rage fan group, said he does not sup-
port Pogoncheff's comments but con-
tinues to support the Maize Rage
Party's campaign.
"Carl shouldn't have said that," Shin-
ska said. "He let his emotions get the
best of him in that situation, and obvi-
ously I don't support that, but I support
Carl, and I support what the guy does
and what kind of person he is."
"Obviously I don't agree that what he
said was a classy and dignified thing to
say, but people make mistakes," Shin-
ska added.
Monica Woll, chair of Hillel's gov-
erning board, called Pogoncheff's com-
ments "absurd."
"If the two presidential candidates were of
any other background, I don't know if ques-
tions would arise," Woll said.
Levine took issue with Pogoncheff's
comments.
"Making judgments about people
solely based on their ethnic back-
grounds shows a lack of understanding
and character, and insults the entire
University of Michigan canipus,"
Levine said.
Brian Chrzanowski, MSA presi-
dential candidate for the Maize Rage
Party, said Pogoncheff did not intend to
specifically target Levine and Yahkind
for their religion.
Defend Affirmative Action Party
MSA presidential candidate Kate Sten-
* vig could not be reached for comment.
Although the Athletic Department
has ties with the Maize Rage fan group
- students receive free Maize Rage
T-shirts when they buy men's basket-
ball season tickets - the department
does not support any political party in
student elections, said Athletic Depart-
ment spokesman Bruce Madej.
"This is the first I've even heard that
they have a political group," Madej
said.
"I PLAN TO DRINK UNTIL I CAN'T STAND UP."
Same-sex
benefits
mUst go
Cox-says
The attorney general's opinion
regarding city benefits does not apply to
higher education, the University says
By Justin Miller
Daily Staff Reporter
Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox issued an opinion yes-
terday that no city can continue offering same-sex benefits when
it renews contracts for its municipal employees.
The statement came in response to a question about whether
the same-sex benefits Kalamazoo offers to its city employees are
still legal in light of an amendment to Michigan's constitution
that says marriage between a man and woman "shall be the only
agreement recognized as a marriage or similar union for any pur-
pose." The amendment was added after voters approved Proposal
2 in November.
In the absence of a ruling from a court, the attorney general's
interpretation of the law generally is binding, Cox spokeswoman
Allison Pierce said.
However, the Michigan Court of Appeals could hear a Proposal
2-based challenge to same-sex benefits early next month.
If Cox reaches the same decision about universities that he did
about municipal employees, public universities will likely go to
court to defend their benefits, said Robert Sedler, a constitutional
law professor at Wayne State University.
"The matter will ultimately be litigated and decided by Michi-
gan courts," Sedler said. "The question would be if the attorney
general's opinion would apply to universities because they have
different constitutional status."
It is not clear if Cox's opinion applies to public universities,
but University spokeswoman Julie Peterson said the University is
unaffected by the opinion.
"We do not believe the definition of marriage is relevant
to our decision about what benefits to offer and we intend
to defend vigorously any challenges to our policy," she said.
"According to our attorneys, the attorney general's decision is
not binding on the University - only a court is binding on the
University."
The University did not say it had plans to issue a court fight
over its benefits policy, especially because it has not been chal-
lenged.
Jeffery Montgomery, executive director of the Triangle Foun-
dation, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy group,
said he was not surprised about the impact of Proposal 2's pas-
sage.
"We were saying throughout the Proposal 2 campaign what a
far-reaching measure this amendment would be, and the other
side was very public in saying that they were only concerned
about marriage and not benefits - we now see the duplicity of
that argument," Montgomery said.
Cox's decision will not deter State Rep. Chris Kolb (D-Ann
Arbor) from introducing legislation that would outlaw discrimi-
nation in the state on the basis of sexuality.
"We will still move forward on our legislation to protect
residents of the state from being discriminated on grounds of
See BENEFITS, Page 7A
AMY DRUMM/Daily
Bartender Ben Connor-Darrie works at Dominick's yesterday. Dominick's and other bars in Ann Arbor will
have drink specials and extended hours in honor of St. Patrick's Day.
GREEN DAY
STUDENTS CELEBRAT]
By Rachel Kruer
Daily Staff Reporter
For St. Patrick's Day, Business senior Greg Beloff hasi
a simple objective in mind.
"I plan to drink until I can't stand up," Beloff said.I
Days in advance, Beloff said he already devised a
strategy to achieve this goal. He said he would start his
day by arriving at Connor O'Neill's when it opens at 71
a.m. Beloff said he would then move on to the Brown JugI
around 9 a.m. where he would continue downing pitch-
ers of dyed-green beer. Eventually, Beloff said he would
swing by a couple of his afternoon classes in a question-I
ably sober state. Straight from class, Beloff predicted he;
would continue his celebration of St. Patrick's Day by
E_;
ST.
PATRICK'S DAY
attending a house party down the street from him. Beloff
included a refreshing nap in his rigorous schedule to rest
up for a long night ahead at Rick's American Cafe.
Beloff explained that, in his opinion, St. Patrick's
Day offers the ultimate excuse for students to con-
sume alcohol.
"It's the biggest college holiday - it has no meaning,
but it's just an excuse to drink. I'm not even Irish, but
there's not many reasons around to drink and dress up in
green," Beloff said.
Beloff is by no means alone in his methods of celebra-
tion. University students who have similar aspirations for
St. Patrick's Day have plenty of options at their disposal.
See GREEN BEER, Page 7A
Report: Trust i journalism has hit all-time low
By Breeanna Hare
and C.C. Song
Daily Staff Reporters
Trust in journalism has hit new lows, according
to the second annual State of the Media Report.
Published by the Project for Excellence in Jour-
nalism, the report showed that in the past 17 years,
the public has come to see the press as self-serv-
ing and discreditable. The number of those who
thought the press was highly professional fell from
72 percent to 49 percent, while the number of those
who thought the press covered-up its mistakes rose
from 13 percent to 67 percent.
This lack of trust has translated into a decline in
readership as the State of the Melia also showed.
According to the report, the number of newspaper
readers has fallen from its height, 75 percent in
1992, to 60 percent in 2004, due to distrust and
other factors.
People cannot trust the news if they do not
respect it, and this has been a long-term trend, said
former CNN and Newsweek journalist and Com-
munication Studies Prof. Anthony Collings.
"The problem is that news organizations
underestimate their audience; they believe they
have to dumb it down. This may increase the
numbers, but it will decrease the respect for the
news," Collings said.
Brent Cunningham, the managing editor of the
Columbia Journalism Review, a magazine that
is associated with Columbia University, said the
increasing popularity of the Internet has contrib-
uted to the decrease in newspaper readership.
"I think (reporters) today cherry-pick facts and
ignore the arguments that are in the way. The other
thing is that the people have disengaged from seri-
ous media in this country. Technology has allowed
us to isolate ourselves and be selective in terms of
media, agree with what we observe and disagree
with what we don't observe," Cunningham said. "
He added that there is also long-term distrust in
journalists.
"I think polls for the last 20 years have shown
the public increasingly less trustful of the press,
and I think the reasons for it are many and compli-
cated and it's not always just the journalists' fault
- although press has done a lot to shoot ourselves
in the foot, not just CBS, not Jayson Blair, all the
way back to Janet Cooke case in 1980."
Jayson Blair of The New York Times was
See JOURNALISM, Page 7A
*Harvard faculty votes 'lack of confidence' in Summers
The vote was nprecedented
in the school's nearly
400-year history
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - Harvard Presi-
dent Lawrence Summers was hoping for a sign
that the worst was behind him, that critics were
prepared to accept his apologies and move on.
Instead, Summers got a reminder Tuesday of
"This was a resounding statement the fac-
ulty lacks confidence in President Lawrence
Summers and he should resign," said J. Lorand
Matory, a professor of anthropology and Afri-
can and African-American Studies who submit-
ted the motion. "There is no noble alternative to
resignation."
Summers has given no indication he would
consider stepping down. He officially answers
only to the Harvard Corporation, the universi-
made at an academic conference on women in
science.
"That's a 50-50 question," said emeritus pro-
fessor Ihor Sevcenko, when asked if Summers
could continue to lead Harvard effectively.
"Much depends on the way he behaves."
At the January conference, Summers argued
that intrinsic differences in ability are a key rea-
son why fewer women are in the applicant pool
for jobs at the highest levels of science.
AP PHOTO
Harvard University
President Law-
rence Summers
faces reporters
., ;,