NEWS
Tuesday, September 12, 2006 - The Michigan Daily - 3
ON CAMPUS
LIGHT SHOW
Stunt troupeA
to hold
demonstration
The Ring of Steel Action The-
ater and Stunt Troupe will present
a free swordplay demonstration
from 7 to 9 p.m. today at the Stu-
dent Theater Arts Complex. The
fight director for the Michigan
Opera Theater will present vari-
ous sword techniques, including
how to wield broadswords and
rapers.
Socratic Club to
hold introductory
meeting
The U's Socratic Club will
host an introductory meeting and
discussion today from 7:30 to
8:30 p.m. at the Michigan Union.
Those interested in attending the
discussions need not be philoso-
phy majors.
North Campus
to hold its own
AP PHOTO
Festifall A sudden storm lights up the Grand Rapids skyline Fri
day, forcing officials to cancel the planned Celebration
on The Grand fireworks display.
North Campus Fest will take
place today from 11I a.m. to 3 p.m.
on the North Campus Diag. Stu-
in North Campus activities through Striking Detroit
various games, exhibits and give-
aways hosted by students leaders
and departments. te a
CRIME return to their jobs
NOTES - Employees who don't strike.
"We're not just fighting for our-
go back to work may selves. We're fighting for our stu-
Racially charged face penalties and fines dents," she told reporters.
The two sides resumed talks
m essage DETROIT (AP) - Thousands yesterday after a one-day break but
written on board of striking Detroit teachers defied adjourned in the afternoon with
d ilP' np to rti to wk dn ltP ct to rtr zidl in
Court refuses to block
disputed ballot measure
Opponents
maintain MCRI lied
to voters about the
nature of the measure
DETROIT (AP) - A federal
appeals court declined yesterday to
block an anti-affirmative action pro-
posal from appearing on the Michi-
gan ballot, saying the plaintiffs failed
to show they are likely to win their
case against the measure's backers.
Opponents of the Michigan Civil
Rights Initiative had asked the 6th
U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for
an injunction to keep the measure
off the Nov. 7 ballot while it appeals
a decision by U.S. District Judge
Arthur Tarnow, who dismissed their
claims under the Voting Rights Act
and ruled that the proposal could go
forward.
In his ruling last month, Tarnow
agreed with the group challenging
the ballot initiative thatthe measure's
backers misled voters in their peti-
tion campaign. However, he said the
plaintiffs failed to prove that the cam-
paign had violated the Voting Rights
Act by depriving minorities of equal
access to the political process.
Opponents had argued that the
initiative's backers sought to defraud
black voters in particular, but Tar-
now said all Michigan voters were
targeted for deception regardless of
race.
By Any Means Necessary, a pro-
affirmative action group, appealed
Tarnow's ruling to the Ohio-based
6th Circuit and asked for an injunc-
tion.
In yesterday's order from the 6th
Circuit, judges Alan Norris, R. Guy
Cole Jr. and Deborah Cook said the
plaintiffs "failed to demonstrate suf-
ficient likelihood of success on the
merits of their claims" for an injunc-
tion to be granted.
If approved by voters, the bal-
lot proposal would amend the state
constitution to ban race and gender
preferences in government hiring
and public-university admissions in
Michigan.
Opponents of the initiative say the
campaign misrepresented the ref-
erendum's ultimate aims while col-
lecting signatures to secure a place
on the ballot. Witnesses testified
before Tarnow that they were tricked
into signing or collecting signatures.
The phrase "affirmative action" did
not appear on the petition, though
the ballot wording approved by state
officials mentions it twice.
BAMN lawyer George Washing-
ton said the group was disappointed,
but still hopeful that the appeals
court will consider the case on an
expedited basis.
"You can't amend the constitution
by fraud;' he said.
Jennifer Gratz, executive direc-
tor of the Michigan Civil Rights
Initiative, praised the ruling. She
called BAMN a "radical group" that
doesn't want to let democracy take
its course.
"Every single court that BAMN
has taken these arguments to has
said the people have a right to vote
on this issue," she said.
Gratz helped launch the ballot
campaign after the U.S. Supreme
Court in June 2003 upheld a general
affirmative action admissions policy
at the University Law School. The
high court also struck down the uni-
versity's undergraduate formula as
too rigid because it awarded admis-
sion points based on race. Gratz was
one of two plaintiffs in the under-
graduate admissions lawsuit.
Across Michigan, people
honor victims of Sept. 11
t
1
i
Ferndale students take turns
reading the names of the nearly
3,000 victims
DETROIT (AP) - Cities across Michigan honored
the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks five years
ago with lowered flags and moments of silence.
In Detroit, police and fire personnel gathered at
Campus Martius, a downtown square that served as a
drill ground for militia training in the 18th century. A
procession of Red Cross, police and fire vehicles cir-
cled the plaza to begin the ceremony, which included
two renditions of the national anthem - one sung by
police Sgt. Kevin Miller and the other played on the
bagpipes.
Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick recalled that Sept. 11,
2001, was the day of the city's mayoral primary.
"As we went back to the campaign headquarters,
we realized that not only our personal and profes-
sional lives were about to change, but our country
was about to go through the most radical and revolu-
tionary change that it had seen since 1776:' Kilpat-
rick told the crowd.
Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings said the
events five years ago were a testament to America's
strength.
"The world watched in awe as America stood
strong, refusing to succumb to those who would prey
on our country, who would count on fear and para-
noia and who greatly underestimate us as a people,"
she said.
Commemorations and prayer services were held in
many Michigan communities. At a park in Ferndale,
school children took turns reading the names of the
nearly 3,000 victims.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm ordered flags to be flown
at half-staff yesterday and encouraged people to
observe a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m., the time the
first plane slammed into the World Trade Center.
A racially discriminatory
phrase was written on a white-
board outside a resident's room
in Mary Markley Residence Hall
yesterday morning, the Depart-
ment of Public Safety reported.
Students found the phrase "I love
Asian pussy" on the board. DPS
was not sure of the race of the
inhabitants of the room.
Prescription
meds stolen
from hospital
Prescription medicine was
reported missing from the
University Hospital yester-
day afternoon. The medication
was a general muscle relax-
ant and was stolen out of a
patient's room, DPS reported.
THIS DAY
In 'U' History
Students
protest ROTC
activities
Sept. 12, 1969 - A large group
of protesters disrupted ROTC
classes in North Hall yesterday.
Some 80 protesters gathered in
front of North Hall at 10:45 a.m.,
handing out leaflets and strate-
gically planning the first inter-
ruption. At 11 a.m., 60 of the
protesters entered three classes
and debated with professors and
students.
The demonstrators used only
verbal protests. No violence was
reported. Upon entering classes,
the protesters confronted profes-
sors and students, debating the
issue of "the role of the military in
U.S. foreign policy."
Army Major David Radike's
Military Science 101 class was
one of those disrupted. He was
in the process of introducing
himself to the seven freshmen
enrolled when protesters entered
his classroom. Protest organizer
Barry Bluestone politely com-
manded the attention of the class-
room and told the students that he
was with a group of people con-
cerned about ROTC activities.
Bluestone told the students, "We
are here to stop ROTC. We want
to do it in a reasonable, rational
manner if we can."
The majority of ROTC instruc-
tors dealt with the situation calm-
ly, demonstrating large amounts
of self-control.
a jwage s order to return to worx
yesterday as school officials and
the union resumed contract talks
in the two-week dispute.
Circuit Judge Susan Borman on
Friday ordered the 7,000 teachers
to go back to work yesterday, but
district spokesman Lekan Ogun-
toyinbo said the overwhelming
majority remained off the job.
He said attorneys would go back
in court today to ask the judge to
"enforce our rights."
State law allows for fines and
other penalties against employees
who ignore a back-to-work order,
but Oguntoyinbo would not say
what action the district would
seek.
Janna Garrison, president of
the Detroit Federation of Teach-
ers, said individual teachers were
free to decide whether to work or
no uate set to return, sau union
spokeswoman Michelle Price.
The walkout began Aug. 28
after teachers rejected a two-year
contract that would have cut pay
5.5 percent and increased co-pay-
ments for health care. The district
has sought $88 million in conces-
sions from the union to help close
a $105 million deficit in its $1.36
billion budget for the fiscal year.
The school district had hoped
to use yesterday as a planning
day before the 130,000 students
returned to class today. Classes for
today were called off.
Teachers picketed outside sev-
eral high schools.
"We are out here because of the
benefits that they are trying to take
from us," said special education
teacher Eumiller Corbitt at Martin
Luther King High School.
U.s AIRFORCE
R*O*T+C
UNK)NO
ForYour Best Choice in
..M' check, Financial Services
- Free online banking 24/7
-ATMs on campus umcu.org
- Three campus branches email: umcu@umcu.org
- StudentVISA credit card phone: 734-662-8200
.VISA Check Card
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If you speak any of these foreign languages or are currently
learning one, we have countless opportunities awaiting you
in Air Force ROTC.
Call 1-866-4AF-ROTC or visit AFROTC.COM.
A