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One-hundred-sieteen years ofeditoralfreedom
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www.michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan Vol. CXVII, No. 14
2006 The Michigan Daily
At Columbia,
a debate over
an invitation
"In the end, I received an A-plus in this course doing virtu-
ally zero work and gaining absolutely zero knowledge:"
Adam Steinberg, aerospace engineering graduate student
Michigan reacts to
former 'U' president's
allowal of speech by
Iranian president
By Andrew Grossman
Daily Staff Reporter
Columbia University President
Lee Bollinger announced late
Wednesday that the school had
invited Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad to speak today, draw-
ing fire from the campus Jewish
communities at Columbia and in
Ann Arbor.
Ahmadinejad called for the elim-
ination of the Jewish state last year
and said that the Holocaust was a
"myth."
The talk was called off yesterday
due to logistical concerns, Bollinger
said in a written statement.
Bollinger was president of the
University of Michigan from 1996
to 2001.
Lisa Anderson, dean of Colum-
bia's School of International and
Public Affairs, invited Ahmadine-
jad. Bollinger stood by the decision
once he learned of it.
"Dean Anderson has the right
and responsibility to invite speak-
ers whom she believes will add to
the academic experience of our stu-
dents," he said. "My office conveyed
to Dean Anderson's that the Uni-
versity would support SIPA if the
school wanted to finalize and host
such an event tomorrow."
Ahmadinejad is in New York
to attend a meeting of the United
Nations General Assembly.
"I think that Ahmadinejad is
beyond the pale in how he views the
world," said Perry Teicher, chair of
Michigan Hillel's governing board.
"His statements aren't reflective of
the ability to have a positive dia-
logue."
Iran has also been at odds recently
with the United States and the Euro-
pean Unionoveritsnuclearprogram.
During an address to the General
Assembly Tuesday, President Bush
took aim at Iran, criticizing it for
developing nuclear weapons and
funding terror.
Later that day at the same podi-
um, Ahmadinejad said his nation
was only interested in developing a
peaceful, civilian nuclear program.
Bollinger said that while he dis-
agrees with Ahmadinejad on many
issues, students should still be able
to engage him on those issues.
"I said last night as this story
developed that I find President
Ahmadinejad's stated beliefs to be
repugnant, a view that I'm sure is
widely shared within our univer-
sity community," he said. "I have
no doubt that Columbia students
and faculty would use a truly open
exchange to challenge President
Ahmadinejad sharply and are
fully capable of reaching their own
independent conclusions about his
claims."
Joshua Berman, the University's
American Movement for Israel
chair, disagreed.
"You shouldn't bring in lead-
ers of other countries that want the
destruction of our country," he said,
"It doesn't sound like responsible
dialogue."
Naamah Paley, editor in chief
of the Michigan Israel Observer, a
journal that publishes articles about
Israel written by University students,
said that while she didn't think it
was a good idea for Columbia to
host Ahmadinejad, things might be
different if she thought he had some-
thing new to say.
"I don't really think he has
something to say in an academic
setting," she said. "I haven't heard
him say things of very high intel-
lectual rigor."
See BOLLINGER, page 7A
Aerospace engineering Prof. William Kauffman sits by his model of the Soviet NI Moon rocket In his office at the
Aerospace Engineering Building yesterday afternoon.
Embattled prof's classes cut
William Kauffman
filed suit against 'U' over
alleged plagiarism of his
ideas for a center
By Deepa Pendse
Daily Staff Reporter
An embattled professor is fighting
a legal battle with the University over
why the courses he usually teaches
were discontinued this year.
Aerospace engineering Prof. Wil-
liam Kauffman is not teaching his
usual 500- and 600-level rocket pro-
pulsion classes this fall. Instead, the
University offered him to teach a
lower-level course in the same depart-
ment.
According to a source familiar with
the conflict who wished to remain
anonymous, the University demoted
Kauffman, who has tenure, to the
lower-level class as a direct result of
his publicizing his discontent with
the University after leveling a lawsuit
against it in 2000.
Kauffman is suing for damages the
University and David Hyland, former
chair of the Aerospace Engineering
Department, for allegedly plagiariz-
ing his proposal for a design center in
the aerospace engineering department
in 1999.
The Michigan Court of Appeals
ruled against Kauffman in late April.
Kauffman is now appealing to the
state Supreme Court.
The University declined to com-
ment on Kauffman's situation.
"The general policy at the Universi-
ty is to not discuss individual person-
nel matters," University spokeswoman
Kelly Cunningham said.
Cunningham said that when plan-
ning courses, each department coordi-
nates who will be on its teaching staff
by using student feedback, evaluations
of the instructor's performance and
the availability of willing professors.
Before pursuing legal action, Kauff-
man complained to the University and
asked for an investigation. Unhappy
with the original probe conducted
by Judith Nowack, the University's
associate vice president for research,
Kauffman went to the Senate Advi-
See PROF, page 7A
Medical student Mark Kiel conducts stem cell research at the Morrison Lab
In the Life Sciences Institute yesterday.
New group argues
for embryonic
stem cell research
LEARNING THE ROPES
Life after college:
where to work
Levin, Schwarz
support group's mission
to educate on benefits
Arikia Millikan
Daily Staff Reporter
In the race for medical cures and
advances, scientists are discovering
the potential for stem cells to pro-
vide the solutions for what were once
thought of as incurable diseases.
Current legislation may leave the
state of Michigan gasping in the
I dust, a new group is arguing.
With the support of Sen. Carl
Levin (D-Mich.) and Congress-
man Joe Schwarz (R-Battle Creek),
Michigan Citizens for Stem Cell
Research and Cures emerged on
the public scene Monday at kick-off
events in Detroit and Lansing.
"Michigan is way behind," said
Schwarz, a supporter of the research.
"We have archaic laws which pre-
vent us from doing research on
embryonic stem cells"
Since scientists first isolated
embryonic stem cells in 1998, con-
troversy has arisen over their use in
medical research.
While states like California, Illi-
nois, New Jersey, Maryland and
Connecticut are currently using
taxpayer money to fund research on
embryonic stem cells, other states
do not.
Benefits include treatment and
cures for debilitating diseases such
as Parkinson's, diabetes and brain
See CELLS, page 7A
BusinessWeek
ranks top companies
for recent graduates
hunting for a job
By Amanda Markowitz
For the Daily
It's not a typical job for
a University alum, but 24-
year-old Marguerite Maiv-
ille spends her days piloting
the Kilimanjaro Safaris
Ride at Walt Disney World
Florida.
Maiville participated in
the Disney College Program
for the first time her junior
year, stayed on as seasonal
help for the company and
then moved to Florida after
graduating from the Univer-
sity in 2004.
See RANKING, page 7A
Best
companies
Top places to work,
according to a recent
list by Business Week:
Walt Disney
Company
Lockheed
Martin
Deloitte &
Touche USA
Goldman,
Sachs & Co.
Enterprise
Rent-A-Car
JEREMY CHO/Daiy
LSA junior Stephen Taylor rappels down the side of the School of
Dentistry Building yesterday as part of Army ROTC training.
I