Thursday, March 30, 2006 News 2A Abramoff sentenced to 6 years in prison tUI1,l A~STYLE J,:. K -N FAE I , V]CE ®..'T E STATEMENT1 LI~t43IT~UI Opinion 4A Aaron Kaplan thinks you're moving back home Arts 8A Buddha Machine makes beautiful music One-hundred-siteen years of editord freedom www.michigandaziy.com Ann Arbor, Michigan Vol. CXVI, No. 102 ©2006 The Michigan Daily Dems gear up for state rep primary NOAH KOR N/Daily LSA freshman Sydney Tuchman writes her proposal for the new name of Big Ten Burrito on a suggestion slip. After the Big Ten Athletic Conference threatened to file a trademark lawsuit, the restaurant was forced to change its name to dodge court costs. Leigh Greden and Rebekah Warren vie for Democratic nomation By Andrew Grossman Daily Staff Reporter When it comes to the issues, the differences between the two candidates in August's Demo- cratic primary for state representative from Ann Arbor's 53rd District are few. City Council member Leigh Greden (D-Ward 3) and abortion-rights activist Rebekah Warren are on the same side of most of today's divisive debates. Both oppose the Michigan Civil Rights Initia- tive, which aims to outlaw some affirmative action programs in Michigan. Both support abortion rights. And both support more education funding. But Greden and Warren differ greatly when it comes to political style and their sources of sup- port. Their race hints at an increasingly common national division within the Democratic Party pit- ting the party's establishment, like Greden, against progressive upstarts, like Warren. Greden is a lifelong Ann Arbor resident and a firm member of the city's Democratic establish- ment. He is serving his second term on City Coun- cil, which is composed entirely of Democrats, and has earned the endorsements of Mayor John Hieftje and six of his 10 colleagues on the Coun- cil. Warren first came to Ann Arbor as a student 15 years ago and has remained ever since. She has strong ties to the activist community and is espe- cially popular among advocates of abortion rights. She currently serves as executive director of Pro- Choice Michigan. Greden and Warren compete for the seat Rep. Chris Kolb (D-Ann Arbor) has held for the last six years. Term limits prevent him from running again. Because the 53rd district, which includes downtown Ann Arbor and Central Campus, is predominant- ly Democratic, the winner of the primary will be heavily favored in November's election. The primary will likely be decided by whichever group - the activists or the establishment - has greater numbers and produces greater turnout. Perhaps it's telling that Greden names former President Bill Clinton - known for his cen- trism - as his political role model, even though he positions himself to Clinton's left. Clin- ton is the father of the so-called "New Demo- Leigh Greden City Coun- cil member, attorney Education: Albion College (bachelor's degree), Case Western Reserve Uni- versity (lawn degree) Greden Endorsements: Mayor John Hieftje, 6 of 10 City Council members Top priority: Increase state educa- tion funding Rebekah Warren Executive director of Michigan Abortion Rights Action League Education: University of Michigan (bachelor's degree) Endorse- ments:.Warren Former State Wre Rep. Mary Schoer (D-Ann Arbor), City Council member Wendy Woods Top priority: Abortion rights crats," a centrist faction of the Democratic Party that has become the party's most powerful force. Warren seems to have forged strong ties with the party's progressive wing that made its mark during the Democratic presidential primaries for the 2004 election season with See PRIMARY, page 2A Facing lawsuit, BTB to Big Ten Conference threatened legal action against local burrito joint By Carissa Miller Daily Staff Reporter The owners of Big Ten Burrito have a prob- lem. Because of a trademark lawsuit, they have to rename their company, but their ideas just don't cut it. Last June, owners Justin Herrick and Adam Lowenstein tried to trademark the name of the local burrito joint, but the move generated legal resistance and claims of trademark infringement from the Big Ten Athletic Conferenced. Rather than battle the multimillion-dollar corporation in court, the owners agreed to change their name by September. The conference is responsible for the cost of new logos and signs. Herrick and Lowenstein kicked off the BTB Name Game Challenge on Monday, inviting peo- For Alison Go's take on the rev Burrito, see Opinion, changi naming of Big Ten page 4A name ple to submit suggestions at the Ann Arbor or East Lansing locations or online. BTB fans have submitted more than 200 options, ranging from just using the acronym "BTB" to alliterations such as "Burrito Bungalow." One avid fan even proposed the owners rename the restaurant "Fuck You Big Ten Conference Burrito." "We probably won't go with that one," Lowenstein said, though he conceded it's his personal favorite. Lowenstein said that when the dispute with the conference began, he didn't think they could actu- ally-makethe restaurant change its name. But after a few weeks, Lowenstein said he real- ized his two-year-old business would not be finan- cially capable of representing itself should the conference make good on its threat to take the bur- rito shop to court. Despite feeling frustrated and See BURRITO, page 2A . i Big Eleven Burrito Big Tasty Burrito Big Time Burrito Big Diez Fuck You Big Ten Con- ference Burrito Grande Diez Grande Ten Burrito Sombrero Grande Burrito Bungalow Alumni association loses members Membership falls off after years of steady increases, leading to speculation as to why By Dhruv Menawat For the Daily After a decade of steady increases, Alumni Asso- ciation membership has fallen off. Membership dropped by 3,000 members between June 2005 and February 2006. The majority of the decline occurred in the last three months. Factors that have been proposed range from concern that the Alumni Association president is not an alum to widespread dissatisfaction with the University. Association leadership attributes the decline to a flailing state economy. Alumni Association President Steve Grafton speculated that recent layoffs at General Motors and Ford have caused the losses. Layoffs not only affect those who lose their jobs, but also their friends and neighbors who, wary of further economic declines, may decline to renew their memberships, he said. About 140,000 Michigan alumni live in South- east Michigan, an area plagued with sluggish eco- nomic growth. Some have speculated that alumni are canceling their memberships because they are dissatisfied with the University. In response, Grafton pointed to results from a monthly alumni satisfaction survey. The survey found that on a scale of one to 10, with one being poor and 10 being excellent, the average score of the University's reputation was 9.1, the pride alumni felt as a result of attending the University was 9.3, and overall satisfaction with the University was 8.7. To boost membership, the association is consid- ering lowering the $59-a-year dues to attract mem- bers like Jim Priest, a 1995 graduate. Priest said he did not join the association because he felt that membership fees were too high. "With a family and all, I needed the money," Priest said. Others doubt decreasing the dues will be signifi- cant enough to make a difference. The current dues are $59 per year. "The dues are such a small thing, I doubt that that's a factor," said David Fivenson, who holds two degrees from the University. Some alumni said they are uncomfortable with the fact that the president of the association has no prior ties to the University, despite such a large alumni base to pick from. Grafton was hired from a similar position he held at Mississippi State University's alumni orga- nization. Kristel Rodriguez, who graduated two years ago, said she was surprised to learn that the president is not a graduate. "Are you serious? It doesn't make any sense - that's the whole point," she said. Other alums were less concerned. Michael Mayer, who graduated in 2003, said if someone has the passion to head the alumni asso- ciation, he should be allowed to do so. Former Alumni Association President Bob For- man said Grafton's lack of University affiliation is unlikely to inhibit his performance. "It's a professional job," he said. "He manages a large staff for a big nonprofit organization." Some have speculated that a recent focus on See ALUMS, page 7A School caters to Detroit moms Graduation requirement stipulates that students of Catherine Ferguson.Academy commit to a college Michael Coulter Daily Staff Reporter Imagine waking up at 4:30 in the morning, dressing yourself and your child and going to work. Now imagine that you're 16 years old and you're not going to work - you're going to high school. For the girls attending Catherine Ferguson Academy in Detroit, this is a daily routine. Catherine Ferguson is an alternative public high school for teenage mothers. It provides an education for student in grades 6 through 12, as well as daycare for the students' children. About 400 girls are enrolled in the school, and the daycare facilities accommodate nearly 200 babies - from 2 weeks to 3 years old. Over the last few months, members of the University community have reached out helping hands to this school. Third-year nursing students Alexis Adamjee and Brynn Wozniak were assigned to help care for children at the school in January as part of their nursing curriculum. They said they were shocked by the plight of the students they were sent to help. Since their first visit, Adamjee and Wozniak have dedicated them- selves to bettering the lives of the young women. Adamjee, a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, and Woz- niak, a member of the Alpha Phi sorority, have recruited the help of their sororities to raise more than $3,500 for the school over the last three months. They said they hope to raise $10,000 by the end of the year. The money will go toward new uniforms for the students as well as toys, high chairs, cribs and books for the nursery. Adamjee and Wozniak also hope to provide strollers and car seats for the school to loan out. Nursing Prof. Maureen Kassof said it was important that Univer- sity students be aware of the economic hardships some people face in Detroit and neighboring regions. "Middle-class university students need to see how different and diverse life is outside of their own worlds," she said. Catherine Ferguson is located near the center of Detroit. It is haunted by stray dogs and surrounded by abandoned buildings, Adamjee said. The academy has been burglarized several times. Audio-video equip- ment, textbooks and food are among the items that have been stolen. "It's not a sunny, motivating environment," Wozniak said. "We want to help these children now because they will be the future." Despite the conditions, most students go on to college. The gradu- SOLE hits Fleming with chalkings Turnout strong at protest of U' apparel made in sweatshops By Kelly Fraser Daily Staff Reporter Phrases like "Its up to you Mary Sue," "SOLE was here" and "Sweatfree Uni- versity," covered two sides of the Flem- Michigan Union before marching to Fleming. As part of the group's "Sweatfree Uni- versity" campaign, SOLE called on Cole- man to adopt the Designated Suppliers Program, an extension of international labor laws for factories that manufacture clothing bearing the University logo. Under the program, all licensed fac- tories would be required to demonstrate full compliance with international labor -. .------. .