NEWS The Michigan Daily - Thursday, April 13, 2006 - 3A ON CAMPUS CAAS marks its 35th anniversary with conference The University's Center for Afroamerican and Africa Studies will celebrate its 35th anniversary by holding a two-day conference beginning today at 9 a.m. The con- ference is titled "The future of Black Studies." Speakers include Uni- versity faculty and Mary Frances Berry, former U.S. assistant secre- tary of education. Berry is also the organizer of the Free South Africa Movement. Greeks to hand out awards for service to community The Office of Greek Life is spon- soring Greek Awards Night today at 7 p.m. in the ballroom of the Michigan Union. The event is held annually to recognize chapters and individual members for their contri- butions to the community. Prof to lecture on biotechnology Public Policy Prof. Shobita Par- thasarathy will deliver a lecture titled "A Role for Morality in Global Health Policy? The Case of Biotechnology" today at noon in room 331 in the office building at 611 Church Street. CRIME NOTES * Bed falls, destroys computer A loft-style bed collapsed from under a student in Mary Mark- ley Residence Hall as he was try- ing climb to the ground Tuesday at about 4 p.m., the Department of Public Safety reported. The falling bed crushed his computer. Trespasser arrested for sleeping in campus basement Someone was found sleeping in the basement of the Earl V. Moore Building Tuesday at about 8 a.m., the DPS reported. The subject was found to have an outstanding warrant for trespassing and was arrested. Police warn skateboarders on Glen Street Six people were skateboarding on steps on Glen Street Tuesday at about 7 p.m., DPS reported. An offi- cer told the skateboarders to move along. THIS DAY GOP supports anti-abortion petition drive Michigan Citizens for Life campaigning to define life as beginning at conception in Michigan LANSING (AP) - Organizers of an anti-abortion petition drive say they have received a boost from a resolu- tion recently adopted by the Michigan Republican Party. Michigan Citizens for, Life is cam- paigning to define a person as exist- ing from the moment of conception in the state constitution. The group wants to spark a challenge to the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion. Campaign organizers must submit at least 317,757 valid signatures of Michi- gan voters to state election officials by early July to qualify for the November ballot. The Michigan Republican State Com- mittee, at a meeting last weekend, unan- imously passed a resolution supporting the Citizens for Life petition drive. The resolution read: "In conjunction with the Republican National Commit- tee Platform passed in 2004, the Michi- gan Republican Party expresses support for the concept that life begins at con- ception and we encourage our members to consider supporting the Michigan Citizens for Life petition initiative." Citizens for Life leader Cal Zastrow said yesterday the resolution has been positive for his campaign. "It has tremendous impact," Zastrow said. "The Republican Party is staying true to its platform." The Michigan Democratic Party criticized the GOP resolution and the ballot drive, saying it could label as criminals women who have abortions even in cases of rape or to protect their own lives. Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer said the support for the initiative moves the state Republican Party "even farther out of the Michigan mainstream." There has been a difference of opin- ion among Republican candidates on the proposal, notably in the U.S. Senate race, where three GOP candidates are vying to face incumbent Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow in November. TENT STATE Continued from page 1A "Everyone complains about it, but no one sees tuition increases as some- thing we can change," said Claire Beyer, a lead organizer of Tent State. Tent State organizers hoped to change that perception. The Michigan Organization of Stu- dents, an umbrella group of 39 stu- dent and faculty groups, organized Tent State. The number of groups involved was a reflection of the coali- tion's belief that student unity is the remedy for the shortcomings of high- er education. According to organizers, a student union - a student-led organization designed to lobby on behalf of stu- dents - is the only way to effectively address these problems. Leaders of MOS said uniting the campus enough to eventually create a student union is a daunting task, but they said Tent State is the first step. "(The event) is a way to bring the membership of many student organi- zations together on one big project," Beyer said. Organizers would not specifi- cally say what needs to be done to improve higher education, explain- ing that they need more student input before they can speak for the student body. Each organization that partici- pated in Tent State was given the opportunity to teach its own class in the tents. Class subjects ranged from a presentation on HR 4437, the divi- sive immigration bill, by Migrant and Immigrant Rights Awareness, to a how-to workshop on graffiti by Fighting Obstacles Knowing Ulti- mate Success. "(The variety of workshops) is a great way to visualize the inter- connectedness of everything," said Adri Miller, a member of Students Organizing for Labor and Economic Equality, which stresses the impor- tance of art. Rebecca Tarlau, a Tent State orga- nizer, said the array of courses at Tent State "is a critique of the current system, but it is also a showcase that an alternative is possible." Organizers said they wanted to highlight common goals of some- times adversary campus groups. "There are hundreds of student groups on campus, but they each have their own focused agenda," Beyer said. "We want to help to bring them all together." Alma Davila-Toro, who led the graffiti workshop with FOKUS, said uniting campus groups is an impor- tant goal. "Our mission at FOKUS is to unite the student body using arts as a common medium," she said. "So we were excited about that part of Tent State." At the workshop, Toro showed stu- dents how to sign their names in graffiti in an effort to illustrate the power of art. Beyer said she was pleased with the turnout. "As far as promoting the Michigan Organization of Students, I guess we will see in the fall," she said. MINOR Continued from page IA Paige Butler, outgoing vice presi- dent of LSA-SG, stressed the impor- tance of student involvement in such decisions. "I think that any decision depart- ments make should account for student opinion," she said. "When changes are made, students are obviously going to be affected, some more than others." The committee, which reviews all proposed changes to the curriculum, is composed of members of student government, faculty and University administrators. MURAL Continued from page 1A The mural's unveiling was in col- laboration with Professor Naomi Silver's "The Art of Narrative" class, where her freshman students wrote poetry after seeing the painted panels. Poets, paint- ers, photographers and musicians attend- ed the event. "Anyone can be an artist if they want to," LSA freshman Reginald Quarker said. Attendees viewed the mural from out- side the building while listening to music from the band Midnight Special. The students in the class said they have made a lasting contribution to the University. "Four years at Michigan is not a lot, but this will be here for a long time," LSA junior Sunghei Yau said. MICHIGAMUA "They've made some shady deci- sions in the past, but it looks like Continued from page 1A they are on the right track now," she said. Engineering sophomore Natasha But Udpa said the group still Udpa said she is glad that the group owes an apology to the people it has is trying to change and break away offended over its 104 years of exis- from its checkered past. tence. MCARDS Continued from page 1A identification, Law School spokeswoman Lisa Mitchell-Yellin said. The school provides professors with seating charts including photographs of students. "We've used seating charts with pho- tographs forever:' Mitchell-Yellin said. "Professors call on students and want to be able to recognize them." The University will support endeavors similar to the Law School's by introduc- ing computer software that will automate the creation of class rosters and seating charts, Green said. "Right now, we make them by hand:' Mitchell-Yellin said. "It's very labor inten- sive." Green said the University has heard concerns that access to photos could lead to favoritism or discrimination. But this question doesn't worry administrators, she added. "We feel that other University poli- cies adequately address those concerns regardless of the impetus for the viola- tion,"Green said. The use of the photos is expected to increase under the new policy, said Green. "Units that wanted to use the photos needed to get permission from each indi- vidual for each specific, use and that burden on the students, faculty and staff usually stopped people from pursuing (using them):" Green said in an e-mail interview. Students Fl Cheaper <,.t su m rt a e ,s u y a r a o e- a neSample roundtrip Student Airfares from Detroit to: £'I h Washington, D.C. $150 Toronto $178 Denver 5207 London $473 Prague $499 Tokyo $767 }, , , R . ; , 1 Visit StudentUniverse.com for cheap student airfares on major airlines to 1,000 destinations across the US and around the worm,. EA >(,- Get ready for life after Michigan with a free year of membership in the Alumni Association. Free for all Class of 2006 graduates! In Daily History Professor's cancer drug gets approval from FDA April 13, 1982 - The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new anti-cancer drug developed by Medicinal Chemistry Prof. Leroy Townsend. Townsend has developed the drug, called tricyclic nucleoside phosphate, over the past 13 years. It is currently being tested on patients who volun- teered to receive the experimental treatment. Townsend said the tests will be conducted on patients with different types of cancer to determine what sorts of tumors the drug fights most effectively. The tests, coordinated by the National Cancer Institute, will also reveal any harmful side effects. Townsend originally developed the drug with his lab at the Univer- sity of Utah in 1968, but has been working on it at the University for 4~t!.I StodntUniverse.com L-A KATHLEEN EDWARDS Thursday, April 20, 8 p.m. One of today's finest and most distinctive singer-songwriters JILL JACK Saturday, April 29, 8 p.m. Members get career services, relocation assistance, alumni connections, networking and more. -'4