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 Azerbaijani Bengali Cambodian Chinese Hausa Hindi Indonesian fit Japanese Tuition assistance Kazakh.. 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