NEWS
The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 23, 2005 - 3
ON CAMPUS
*Okrent, other
speakers to talk
on plagiarism
The Sweetland Writing Center will hold
a conference to examine issues of origi-
nality and plagiarism. Issues of copyright
and ownership will be looked at, as will
the appropriate use and dissemination of
new ideas. The weekend-long conference,
whose speakers include former New York
Times public editor and Michigan Daily
alum Daniel Okrent, will hold its first ses-
sions today from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the
Michigan Union.
Author to discuss
the science of
gender
Deborah Rudacille, author of The Rid-
dle of Gender, will speak tonight on the
science of gender and the human side of
transgender issues. Rudacille's talk will
be held in the Hall of Evolution at the
Exhibit Museum of Natural History.
Chamber Players
celebrate music
school's birthday
The School of Music will begin a year-
long celebration of its 125 years with a
concert by the Michigan Chamber Play-
ers. The free concert will be held in the
Rackham auditorium at 7 p.m tonight.
CRIME
NOTES
Unarmed robbery
suspect caught
Jerry Greer, a 17-year old from Ann
Arbor, was arrested by DPS yesterday
in connection with a Sept. 15 unarmed
robbery near the Diag. He will also be
questioned about several other incidents
of unarmed robbery, both on the campus
and in the city of Ann Arbor, since the
spring. DPS is still looking for the other
two suspects from the Sept. 15 robbery.
Girl slapped by
stranger under
West Hall arch
A caller reported a man running up
behind her and slapping her while she
was walking under the West Hall arch
yesterday late in the afternoon, the
Department of Public Safety reported.
She said the 28-year-old man was a
stranger. DPS classified the man as
highly intoxicated. The subject was
arrested and then released until his war-
rant was authorized. The offense is a
misdemeanor and could result in two
years in prison.
Students rip down
posters, stickers
A caller reported an incident of mali-
cious destruction when three subjects
roamed around East Quadrangle Resi-
dence IFall removing posters and stick-
ers from bulletin boards and doors,
according to DPS.
Profs: Roberts unlikely to
affect affinative action
By Andr~s Kwon
Daily Staff Reporter
Since the nomination of Judge
John Roberts to replace the
late U.S. Chief Justice William
Rehnquist, there has been much
speculation and concern among
faculty and students about how
he will affect various decisions
made during the Rehnquist era
and before. But when it comes to
affirmative action, an issue very
relevant to the University, most
experts in the field of law have
concurred that things will most
likely stay the same, at least in
the foreseeable future.
In terms of affirmative action,
the central legal question is well
settled, said University General
Counsel Marvin Krislov. The
U.S. Supreme Court cases in
2003 that reaffirmed the legal-
ity of using race as a factor in
granting admission to students
are most likely not going to
be changed, say experts in the
field.
"This central precedent is very
,strong 'and is not likely to be
overturned any time in the fore-
seeable future, and probably not
in our lifetimes," Krislov said.
Law Prof. Richard Friedman
agreed.
"I doubt that there will be
any attempt in the near future to
overturn Grutter, which upheld
the law school's admissions pol-
icy."
Others argued that affirmative
action politics at universities
would continue to stand as they
currently are because of Rob-
erts's deference to precedent.
"He does appear to have a very
healthy respect for precedent,"
Krislov said, adding that Rob-
erts, as chief justice, probably
would not make many dramatic
changes by overturning prec-
edent.
Law School Dean Evan
Caminker said, "Roberts is
trained to be careful and focused
on actual facts of the case and
the consequences of the deci-
sion." He added that he thinks
that Judge Roberts will approach
cases in an open-minded manner
as opposed to intentionally using
his power to move the law in a
conservative direction.
Still, some students main-
tained their concerns. "Since
all of the information regarding
Roberts's stance on civil rights
issues has not been released, we
are critical of his nomination,"
said Staci Daniels, a member of
the executive board of College
Democrats.
School of Social Work Prof.
Michael Reische was also skep-
tical about the nomination.
"Roberts has stated he respects
and will abide by existing legal
precedents, but it is unclear how
this statement will translate into
court decisions," he said. Never-
theless, Reische said he thinks
"it is likely that Mr. Roberts
will continue along a legal path
similar to that of Chief Justice
Rehnquist."
College Democrats chair and
LSA senior Libby Benton looked
at the broader picture: "Replac-
ing Rehnquist and (Associate
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor)
with two far-right nominees such
as Roberts, would have devas-
tating effects on all civil rights
issues,
action."
including
affirmative
Granhoim's job rating drops below 50%
Governor still leads
GOP challenger Dick
DeVos by 20 points
LANSING (AP) - Gov. Jennifer
Granholm's job rating this month dipped
below 50 percent for the first time since
she took office in January 2003, but she
still holds a 20-point lead over Republi-
can challenger Dick DeVos.
The poll released yesterday by Lan-
sing-based EPIC/MRA shows 46 percent
of the 600 likely voters polled gave the
Democratic governor a positive job rat-
ing, while 49 percent gave her a negative
rating and 5 percent were undecided.
Granholm had a 52 percent positive job
rating in July and a 54 percent positive
rating in August in earlier EPIC/MRA
polls.
The governor did far better in a poll
released the same day by "Inside Michi-
gan Politics" editor Bill Ballenger. In that
poll of 600 registered voters surveyed
Sept. 16 through Wednesday by Lansing-
based Marketing Resource Group, 56 per-
cent approved of the way Granholm was
handling her job, while 34 percent disap-
proved and 10 percent were undecided.
Fifty-seven percent had a favorable
opinion of Granholm in the EPIC/MRA
poll, while 54 percent had a favorable
opinion in the MRG survey.
President Bush's job approval numbers
continued to suffer, with 36 percent in
the EPIC/MRA poll giving him a posi-
tive job rating - down from 41 percent
in August - and 63 percent giving him
a negative rating. Only 1 percent were
undecided. The telephone poll was taken
Sunday through Wednesday, after Bush
promised in a speech last week to deal
with the devastation brought by Hurri-
cane Katrina.
In the MRG poll, 40 percent said they
approved of the way the Republican
president was handling his job, while 53
percent disapproved and 1 percent were
undecided.
Forty-two percent of those in the MRG
poll said they had a favorable opinion of
Bush, and 54 percent said they had an
unfavorable opinion, with 4 percent unde-
cided. The same percentage had a favor-
able opinion in the EPIC/MRA survey.
When it came to the gubernatorial
election, Granholm was ahead in both
polls. Half of those surveyed by EPIC/
MRA said they would back Granholm
if the election were held today, while 30
percent said they would back DeVos, and
20 percent were undecided. Last month's
EPIC/MRA poll had Granholm beating
DeVos 56 percent to 36 percent, with 8
percent undecided.
In the MRG poll, Granholm led DeVos
49 percent to 34 percent, with 16 percent
undecided.
In the U.S. Senate race, Democratic
incumbent Debbie Stabenow of Lansing
held sizable leads over her two potential
GOP challengers in the EPIC/MRA poll.
Stabenow led the Rev. Keith Butler of
Troy 49 percent to 25 percent, with 26
percent undecided. She led Jerry Zands-
tra, a Cutlerville resident on leave from
his jobs as a minister and as program
director of a Grand Rapids-area think
tank, 50 percent to 22 percent, with 28
percent undecided.
AP PHOTO
Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Mackinac Bridge Authority Chairman William
Gnodtke sign the agreement defining responsibilities and management roles
of MDOT and the Authority on the Mackinac Bridge into law on Tuesday.
- -
" ~ - -
THIS DAY
In Daily History
Plans for co-ed
dorm stalled
Sept. 23, 1956 - Plans for a coed
dormitory are stalled in the hands of a
student committee that was to make pre-
liminary suggestions on its design and
layout. The committee, composed of 10
men and eight women, was appointed
last spring. Early in the semester they
met once with Eero Saarinen, the official
architect for the dormitory.
Vice President for Student Affairs,
James Lewis said that the administra-
tion plans to get the group working again
"very soon." He also said the next resi-
dence hall will "probably" be co-edu-
cational and that this committee will
continue to work with the architect and
the administration in planning it.
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