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One-hundredfowieten years of editorilfreedom
www.mikianday.corn Ann Arbor, Michigan Vol. CXV, No. 141 ©2005 The Michigan Daily
F bBI
probe
*campus
group,
0 ACLU obtains
records that indicate FBI
investigated campus and
state groups like BAMN
By Rachel Kruer
Daily Staff Reporter
The American Civil Liberties Union
has released documents from the Fed-
eral Bureau of Investigation confirming
that several activist groups in Michigan
and at the University were investigated
for terrorist ties.
Through a Freedom of Informa-
tion Act request, the ACLU asked for
records to determine whether the state
and local joint terrorism task force was
investigating issue advocacy groups in
Michigan.
On Aug. 29, the ACLU released a
document from the FBI, a synopsis
from a domestic terrorism symposium
hosted by the Michigan State Police on
Jan. 23, 2002.
The symposium was intended to edu-
cate local, state and federal law enforce-
ment agencies on organizations with
possible ties to terrorism. BAMN, a
national organization in support of affir-
mative action that has a chapter at the
University, and Direct Action, an anti-
war group, were named at the meeting.
The ACLU also used a FOIA to
find information on whether the same
groups were under investigation by the
Michigan State Police. The state police
has not yet released any documents that
confirm it investigated the organiza-
tions.
Shanon Akans, public affairs sec-
tion manager for the state police,
said the department has reviewed the
FOIA request but at this point in time
cannot fulfill it.
In a press release, the state police
defended its discussion of advocacy
groups.
"It is common police practice to
anticipate and plan for protests in order
to ensure not only the safety of the pub-
lic, but the protesters themselves," the
* press release said.
Steinberg said he is looking into fil-
ing a lawsuit that would force the state
police to release the information on
behalf of peaceful organizations. He
added that he believes the investigation
of Michigan's advocacy groups consti-
tutes not only an invasion of privacy,
but also a drain on the police's time and
energy.
"We think that spying on people
engaged in legitimate political dissent is
a tremendous waste of police resources,
and we're also concerned that police
monitoring of activist groups will have
a chilling effect on students and others
that want to protest lawfully," he said.
Sara McDonald, a member of Direct
Action, said the group is now consid-
ering a lawsuit to force the Michigan
State Police to release any documen-
See FBI, Page 7A
"FINDING A NEW SCHOOL, THOSE THINGS ARE DIFFICULT, BUT THEY PALE IN
COMPARISON TO WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE DEALING WITH,"
ACH BROMER, RECENFTLY ADMITTED LAW STUDENT FROM TULANE UNIVERSITY
More
students
head to'
Nine more students
from hurricane-affect-
ed areas have been
reached, 23 remain
By Christina Hildreth
Daily Staff Reporter
One day into the new semes-
ter, the University continues to
make progress in locating stu-
dents from the areas devastated
by Hurricane Katrina last week.
Dean of Students Sue Eklund
said there are now only 23 stu-
dents from hurricane-affected
areas that have not contacted the
University, down from 32 over
the Labor Day weekend.
Meanwhile, University admis-
sions offices are working to
handle hundreds of inquiries
from students who had planned
to attend Tulane and Xavier uni-
versities, the University of New
Orleans and Loyola University
New Orleans, all of which are
located in the disaster-stricken
areas.
As of yesterday, the Office of
Undergraduate Admissions has
handled more than 100 inquiries.
Twenty students received admis-
sion, three as incoming freshman
and the rest as nondegree guest
students, said administrators.
"We are still looking at this on
a case-by-case basis," said Ted,
Spencer, director of undergradu-
ate admissions. "We are doing
everything we can to help those
students continue their educa-
tion."
Spencer said the majority of the
students admitted were enrolled
at Tulane but had hometowns in
Michigan. Additional accepted
students hailed from New York
and Ohio. The Law School accept-
How you can help
The Red Cross is in need of
blood and donations. Call 734-
971-5300 for more information.
The School of Social Work
is holding a silent auction
in McGregor Commons until
Sept. 9 to raise money
Salvation Army is in need of
donations. Call 734-668-8353
for more information.
Michigan Student Assembly
will hold a public meeting to
discuss relief efforts in room
3909 of the Michigan Union
today at 6 p.m.
School of Music is holding
a benefit concert for hurricane
victims on Sunday at 3 p.m. at
the Power Center.
ed nine students, and the Rackham
School of Graduate Studies also
accepted one displaced student.
All arrived on campus in time for
the start of classes yesterday.
Other schools within the Uni-
versity have received inquiries
but have not admitted any new
students.
Many of the students who had
expressed interested in attending
the University after the hurricane
have decided to go to other univer-
sities, said Al Cotrone, director of
adm;n'stration for the Stephen M.
Ross School of Business.
As students arrive, the Office
of Financial Aid has provided two
or three students with emergency
funds fqr food and clothing, said
Pam Fowler, financial aid direc-
tor. The money for this aid comes
from private endowments set
aside for students with drastic cir-
cumstances, such as the survivors
See HURRICANE, Page 7A
A LDIA Z/ y Dily
3romer sits in front of the Law School where he will be taking classes until
the campus recovers from hurricane damage.
Rep steps down, MSA inducts new VP
Stuart Wagner resigns to
spend more time on Campus
Improvement Commission
By Jeremy Davidson
Daily Staff Reporter
Slightly more than a week ago, Michigan
Student Assembly President Jesse Levine
nominated Nicole Stallings to replace the
resigning vice president Alicia Benavides.
But before Levine could call consent for the
nomination from the representatives at the
first MSA meeting of the year yesterday, the
assembly had lost another member.
By the time Stallings started her official
term as vice president of the assembly, MSA
Rep. Stuart Wagner had resigned. Wagner, an
LSA junior who has earned notoriety amongst
his colleagues for his dynamic nature, offi-
cially resigned at last night's meeting, saying
that he wished to pursue other interests.
"I'd like to start learning something at this
university, and going to class and doing the
reading and studying, instead of cramming
the night before," Wagner said.
Wagner said he also decided to leave his
position as a representative in order to con-
centrate his efforts on his work-as chair of the
Campus Improvement Commission, a com-
mission within MSA.
"My message is, if you're not going to do anything on
the assembly, you should step down. I just feel like I
could be doing more as a commission chair."
- Stuart Wagner
Former MSA Rep
Wagner said that the Campus Improvement
Commission has not done much in the past,
but has been used as a stepping stone posi-
tion to establish a place within the assembly.
Levine was campus improvement commission
chair his freshman year.
Wagner said that he hopes to change the
way the CIC works, adding that many of the
most dedicated commission members become
MSA executives, leaving the commissions
with students that were not as committed to
See MSA, Page 7A
. SOLE protests Eddie
Bauer with sit-in
AAPD campaign
aims to curb thefts
Activists want Coleman
to take a stance aganist
the clothing company
By Amber Colvin
Daily Staff Reporter
Students Organizing for Labor and Eco-
nomic Equality staged a sit-in yesterday in
the lobby of University President Mary Sue
Coleman's office to voice its concern regard-
ing the FLA or force the FLA to make Eddie
Bauer accountable for the money it owes the
workers.
"The FLA is supposed to monitor for
sweatshops, and they're not," said RC senior
and SOLE member Ryan Bates.
University spokeswoman Julie Peterson
said Coleman did not have time for a meeting
but did receive a letter from SOLE explaining
the reasoning for their sit-in.
SOLE member and Engineering junior
Sam Rahman said the factory workers in
Police hope to stop
crime by telling students
to lock their doors
By Julia F. Heming
Daily Staff Reporter
The Ann Arbor Police Depart-
ment has spent about $1,000 on a
campaign that it hopes will curb the
city's growing numbers of thefts by
encouraging students to lock their
doors, comes at a time when theft
constitutes 90 percent of all the
city's crimes.
"We unfortunately have a cul-
ture in this town of not locking
our doors," Oates said, referring to
the 65 percent of thefts that result
from an unlocked door. "And when
it comes to theft crime, the over-
whelming odds are that the victim
will be a student," he added.
But not all students seem. wor-
ried about this threat. LSA junior
. { n . Yei# t~x 7 f. 71 j . . :.: . .. . tin s v. ... , AR