Monday, January 23, 2006
News 3A Michigan schools
full of teachers
convicted of crimes
Opinion 4A
Chris Zbrozek wants
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One-hundredffteen years ofeditorial freedom
Arts 5A Match Point comes
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www.miehigandaily.com
62006 The Michigan Daily
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Vol. CXVI, No. 59
Regents
approve
provost
Board unanimously votes for
Teresa Sullivan to be President
Coleman's right-hand woman
By Gabe Nelson
Daily Staff Reporter
It's official. University President Mary Sue
Coleman has a right-hand woman.
The University Board of Regents unani-
mously approved Teresa Sullivan, executive
vice chancellor for
academic affairs
of the University
of Texas system, as
provost and execu-
tive vice president=
for academic affairs
Friday, making her
second in command
to Coleman.
The regents' vote
ended the nine- Sullivan
month search to
replace former Provost Paul Courant, who
left the post in August 2005 to return to
research and teaching. Sullivan will take
office June 1.
The Board of Regents expressed their sat-
isfaction with Sullivan and with the search.
"They conducted a wide-ranging, rigorous
search, and (Coleman) kept us well-posted
during the search process," said Regent S.
Martin Taylor (D-Grosse Pointe Farms).
As UT's vice chancellor, Sullivan manages
nine academic institutions across the state.
Coleman praised Sullivan's interaction
with Texas legislators, calling her a "won-
derful citizen of Austin."
"I never felt so good about a Texan,"
Taylor said.
The appointment marks two firsts for the
University. It is the first time women will
hold the two most powerful positions, and it
is the first time candidates from outside of
the University will fill both of them.
"There was no stance on hiring internal
or external candidates," Coleman told the
Daily. "I asked (the committee) to go out and
gather lots of people, regardless of where
they were from."
Sullivan taught sociology at the Univer-
sity of Chicago and University of Texas from
1976 to 1981. Since 1981, she has worked as
a dean, an academic department head and
vice chancellor at the University of Texas.
"It was the depth and breadth of her
experience that jumped out to the com-
mittee," Coleman said. "She exhibits the
scholarly achievement and administrative
excellence that have for so long defined
Michigan provosts."
Interim provost Edward Gramlich will step
down at the end of May to make way for Sul-
livan. Coleman said Gramlich will remain as
her special advisor at the University until at
least August. After that, he may continue to
teach in the Ford School of Public Policy.
Michigan Board of State Canvassers members Doyle O'Conner and Paul Mitchell participate in a meeting last Friday in Lansing. The Board of
State Canvassers voted 3 to 0 to approve ballot language for an initiative that would ban some affirmative action programs in Michigan.
Boar(
ballolt
Board takes final step,
puts initiative to ban some
affirmative action programs
in state on November ballot
By Joolle Dodge
Daily Staff Reporter
Affirmative action supporters suffered a
blow Friday when the state Board of Can-
vassers voted unanimously to approve the
language of a ballot proposal that would
ban some affirmative action programs in
Michigan. The vote effectively ended the
battle over whether the proposal would
make it to November's ballot.
The approved ballot language states
that the proposal would ban "affirmative
action programs that give preferential
treatment to groups or individuals based
on their race, gender, color, ethnicity
or national origin" in public university
admissions and government hiring.
"The language is as good as it could be,"
said Doyle O'Connor, one of two Demo-
crats on the Board of Canvassers.
But the vote has not quieted the debate
over whether the wording is fair. Opponents
of the measure maintain that it is intention-
ally misleading.
Groups opposing the measure claim that
voters will be mislead by the words "pref-
erential treatment," mistaking the proposal
as an effort to help minorities.
"We think the wording is unfair," said
BAMN organizer Luke Massie. "The
I
approves
wording
Group
out to
destroy
BAMN
Some suspect the new
organization is merely a front for
opponents of affirmative action
By Michael Kan
Daily News Editor
Pro-affirmative action group BAMN can add
another foe to its enemy list.
Students who both advocate and oppose affir-
mative action have formed a new group known
as The Coalition to Stop BAMN, By Any Legal
Means. The group of about 30 students aims to
raise awareness about BAMN, claiming that the
openly communist organization uses racist and
violent tactics to achieve its political goals.
"A lot of people are fed up with BAMN," said
group head organizer Dan Shuster. "And we want
them to take a hike."
But while members from both sides of the debate
have slammed BAMN for its militant methods,
some students are questioning the true intentions
and inclusiveness of this new group.
"I have to wonder whether this organization
will also be used as a backdoor way to discredit
affirmative action and its supporters," said Lisa
Bakale-Wise, a member of Students Supporting
Affirmative Action.
Criticism of BAMN on campus peaked last Octo-
ber when the organization transported hundreds of
middle and high school students from Detroit to
Ann Arbor for a rally against the Michigan Civil
Rights Initiative, architects of a proposal that will
appear on November's ballot that would ban some
affirmative action programs in the state.
Several student groups, including the campus
chapter of the NAACP, allege that BAMN used the
students, virtually all of whom were black, as tokens
to legitimize the rally. Because the students shouted
obscenities at anti-affirmative action protestors at
the rally, the groups say the stunt was counterpro-
ductive to the cause of affirmative action.
BAMN's actions at a State Board of Canvassers
meeting in December have also drawn ire.
A Michigan court had ordered the board to
put the initiative on the ballot. BAMN bused in
Detroit high school students to the meeting. The
students turned over an empty table and police
arrested a 17-year-old student on a misdemeanor
charge.
Shuster, an opponent of affirmative action, said
the group formed on Facebook.com in reaction to
the October rally. Earlier this month, some mem-
bers of the group met to formally establish the
nonpartisan group.
With BAMN escalating its efforts to recruit
middle and high school students, Shuster said
University students from both sides of the debate
recognize that the group has crossed the line.
"BAMN is nothing without the kids," Shuster
said. "They are all just pawns in BAMN's game."
Group member Heather Wittaniemi claims she
joined BAMN earlier this school year but quit
See BAMN, page 7A
Would you vote for the ballot Initia-
tive? Take a poll at michigandally.com.
term 'preferential treatment' is a term of
deceit and prejudice. There's no such thing
as preferential treatment for women and
minorities in Michigan."
The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative,
architects of the ballot initiative, could not
be reached for comment, but representatives
fought at the board's meeting on Friday to
exclude the words "affirmative action" from
the 100-word summary that will appear on
November's ballot.
Kathy DeGrow, Republican chair of the
Board of Canvassers, said she believes the
final wording is the best it can be.
"We've done the best possible work to
bring forward wording that will be fair for
Michigan constituents," she said. "I feel
satisfied that the director of elections has
drafted the language that he sees fit. The
various parties have been worked with as
thoroughly as possible."
Although he voted in favor of the new lan-
guage, O'Connor, of two Democratic mem-
bers, said the proposal is inherently flawed.
"The way the constitutional amendment
was drafted was intended to make it diffi-
cult for people to understand all the things
that would happen if it passed," he said.
Daivd Waymire, spokesman for One
United Michigan, which opposes the initia-
tive, said his organization does not agree
with the language, but is accepting it.
"The language is quite confusing, but the
See MCRI, page 7A
WHAT DOES PREFERENTIAL
TREATMENT' MEAN TO YOU?
Z2Paul Kang,
LSA sophomore
"That means
leveling the
playing field
for people that
have been
treated differ-
ently."
Rosario Sasota,
LSA junior
"Businesses
can't use race
as a way to
give preference
to a person."
Laura Crepeau,
LSA sophomore
"You can't
consider
any of those
things."
New application process
boosts MSA membership
BEER ART
Representatives say apps help
direct students to specific areas
of involvement in student gov't
By Ashlea Surles
Daily Staff Reporter
A new committee application process is mak-
ing it harder to find a seat at Michigan Student
Assembly meetings.
The process, implemented last fall, is credited
with increasing participation in the assembly.
Previously, students became members by
attending enough MSA committee meetings or
being elected as a representative. The informal
recruitment process, representatives say, was a
deterrent for potential members who did not want
to run in an election or felt lost when they tried to
join committees.
But a new application has formalized the process
and helped point students in the right direction.
The application asks students to choose the top
five committees they would like to join and write a
500-word essay about their campus involvement.
By reading the committee preferences of
applicants as well as by looking at their interests,
representatives can "better direct students to spe-
cific areas of involvement," MSA President Jesse
Levine said.
LSA freshman Max Lebowitz-Nowak, a mem-
ber of the Rules and Elections Committee, filled
out the application last fall.
"It laid out the possibilities of MSA by giving
you a list of all the committees;' he said.
Arielle Linsky, chair of the Campus Gover-
nance Committee, said the new process gives stu-
dents a tangible way to get involved.
"Knowing that there are others competing for
the same spot gives (students) a deadline to get
involved," Linsky said.
See MSA, page 7A
Months after incident, injustices prevail
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