JAMES DICKSON MAKES THE
CASE FOR SCHOOL CHOICE
OPINION, PAGE 4

MIDTERM EXAM RIGHTEOUS DICAPRIO HOT
MORALLY SOUND IN'DIAMOND
GRADING THE FIRST HALF OF HOCKEY SEASON SPORTS, PAGE 9 ARTS, PAGE 5

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Ann Arbor, Michigan

www.michigandaily.com

nber 12, 2006

'U' seeks to delay Prop 2

MSU,
Wayne
co-file
motion
By ANDREW GROSSMAN
and ANNE VANDERMEY
Daily StaffReporters
The University asked a fed-
eral court yesterday to delay
the implementation of Pro-
posal 2.
If the motion is successful,
the University will avoid being
forced to stop considering
race in admissions on Dec. 23
- in the middle of the admis-
sions cycle. If the stay is not
granted, applications received
after that date will be judged
by different standards than
those received before.
The University of Michigan
filed the request with Michi-
gan State University and
Wayne State University.
The motion was filed in
response to a Nov. 8 lawsuit
by the radical pro-affirma-
tive action group By Any
Means Necessary. BAMN's
suit claims that the proposal
violates the equal protection
clause of the 14th Amend-
ment to the U.S. Constitution
and that public institutions
in Michigan must continue
to grant preferences based on
race. The three universities
were named as defendants,
See STAY, page 7

NEWS ANALYSIS
Is 'U' softening
its strategy?

Mil
pre
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Eve
Prdpo
versit
would
affirm
court
of this
the sa
But
has be
percel
not -
would
Propo
wrigg
plying
Mo
dismir
as qui
Presid
has ne
try th
Her
ments
In
after t
sage,(
and th
Unive
to figh
speec

lder tack could in some circles criticized, tor
its defiant tone.
vent backlash In many ways, the Uni-
versity's strategy yesterday
from voters, appeared tobe designed to
shield the administration
legislators from a major public backlash
that could have resulted from
DONN M. FRESARD a different approach.
Editor in Chief By filingthe request to
delay Proposal 2 as a motion
r since the day after ina lawsuit in which it
sal 2's passage, the Uni- was a defendant, the Uni-
y has made clear that it versity avoided having to
try to get the ban on spend money outside its
ative action delayed in legal defense insurance.
so that it could judge all That neutralized the charge
year's applicants under - now nearly a clich6 on
me rules. the op-ed pages of the state's
up to this point, there newspapers - that Coleman
en a widespread public intended to spend the taxpay-
ption - warranted or ers' dollars to fight a constitu-
that the University tional amendment that they
likely sue to overturn overwhelmingly approved.
sal 2, or at least try to By acting in concert with
le its way out of com- Michigan State University
and Wayne State University,
st legal commentators the University of Michigan
ss such legal strategies ducked the perception that it
Aotic, and University would be fighting this legal
lent Mary Sue Coleman battle on its own. That could
ver said she intended to have been a problem, given
em. its haughty reputation among
r earlier public com- many state conservatives and
, though, did hint at it. much of the state Legislature.
a Diag speech just Perhaps most important,
:he amendment's pas- the University could con-
Coleman cried foul vincingly argue that this
reatened to let slip the legal challenge was only to
rsity's pack of lawyers avoid a short-term logisti-
at Proposal 2. That cal nightmare - and that it
h was widely noted, and See ANALYSIS, page 7

TOP: University President Mary Sue Coleman during an interview with The Michigan Daily yesterday afternoon about the University's motion to
delay the implementation of Proposal 2. BOTTOM: University General Counsel Marvin Krislov spoke about the legal aspects and strategy of the
proposal.

"It's not easy for us just to flip the
switch and kind of change the
process, and we didn't think that
would be the right thing to do for
the number of young people applying
to the University of Michigan."
-Mary Sue Coleman
University president


At Power Center, a new floor
to ease the pain for dancers

General manager Jody Thompson sits at the bar at Mitch's at 7:30 last night, a few hours atter the popular
student watering hole opened its doors for the first time in about two years.
Taps flow anew at
popular student bar

Concrete floor
caused aches,
other maladies
By MARIEM
QAMRUZZAMAN
Daily Staff Reporter
For dancers, a floor can
make or break a performance
- or aleg.
Some dancers who have
practiced at the Power Cen-
ter are reporting spiral frac-
tures in their legs. Many
have attributed this to the
masonite, a type of hard-
board wood, which covers
the stage.
To correctthe problem, the
School of Music, Theatre and
Dance has agreed to install
a portable floor with extra
cushioning before its annual
performance in February.
Administrators say the floor,
taken from the Duderstadt
Center's video studio, will
serve as a temporary solution
until a safer floor can be built.
The portable floor is
sprung, meaning that it pro-
vides resilience and absorbs
shock to performers.
Abby Zeitvogel, a sopho-
more in the School of Music,
Theatre and Dance, said stu-
dents will be pleased with
the short-term solution.
"It's going to cause a lot
more relaxation during
(rehearsal) because we won't
be as afraid to get injured,"
she said.
The current floor, installed

FOREST CASEY/Daily
Abby Zeitvogel, a sophomore in the School of Music, Theatre and Dance, said she is glad a new floor will be
installed in the Power Center, because the old floor caused injuries in some dancers.

Mitch's opens the bar's first two beers in
years: a Sierra Nevada Pale
for first time in Ale and a Corona with lime.
The bar was closed for
two years about two years before City
Council approved the transfer
By TARYN HARTMAN ofthe bar's liquor license to its
Daily StaffReporter new location across the street
at1220 S. University Ave. Gen-
LSA senior Perry Teicher eral manager Jody Thompson
and his friend were on their served the first patrons, but
way to the Starbucks on South the two also met the bar's
University Avenue at about owner and namesake, Mitch
5 p.m. last night when they Savas.
noticed employees hanging "We were,alongwith Mitch
banners proclaiming "Mitch's and everyone else in there,
Now Open!" on telephone very excited," Teicher said.
poles outside of the bar. They "We're really excited,"
climbed the stairs and ordered Thompson echoed. "This

debacle is hopefully finally
over."
After a string of setbacks
involving building problems
and tax issues, the council
approved the license trans-
fer on Nov. 9. But additional
delays within the Michigan
Liquor Control Commission
continued to delaythe reopen-
ing.
Thompson said the com-
mission also had to hold its
own meeting to approve the
license transfer, and Thanks-
giving stalled its schedul-
ing. The final approval of the
license came last week.
See MITCH'S, page 7

in 1971, is basically "card-
board on top of concrete,"
said Roche Janken, a senior
in the School of Music, The-
atre and Dance.
"At the time it was top of
the line, but now we know
more about floors," Dance
senior.
University Productions
Director Jeffrey Kuras said
that although the floor's
foundation is cement, it has
several layers of other mate-
rials and is topped with
masonite.
Dancers' previous injuries
range in severity from aches
and pains to permanent back

problems.
"Istartedfeelingpaininmy
ankles and pain in my knees,"
Zietvogel said. "It started
going into my back and my
back started spasming."
Zietvogel said that her
sister had to schedule an
emergency chiropractor
appointment after she also
developed back spasms from
dancing on the floor.
Administrators said they
are working on a long-term
solution, but that it will take
time.
"Because it's a multi-use
space, we have to really
think about the various

alternatives," Kuras said.
"Our biggest challenge
is finding an appropriate
solution in accommodating
everyone."
Christopher Kendall, dean
of the School of Music, The-
atre and Dance, said he has
not heard of a company refus-
ing to perform because of the
stage's condition during his
year and a half as dean.
But Zeitvogel said a new
floor will make the center
more attractive to profes-
sional dance companies.
"They won't have to bring
their own stage," Zeitvogel
said.


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.3 CLAS SIFIEDS...
.4 SPORTS...........

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