Thursday, October 19, 2006 - The Michigan Daily - 3A NEWS ON CAMPUS Panel to discuss affirmative action Medical School alum James Curtis and UCLA Law Prof. Kim- berl6 Crenshaw will talk about the ways affirmative action and diversity have affected their pro- fessions from 4 to 6 p.m. today in Auditorium Three of the Modern Languages Building. The event is free and open to the public. SMSA event to welcome complaints Members of the Michigan Student Assembly's Elections Reform committee are hold- ing a forum where students can voice their concerns regarding last year's assembly elections, which were rife with dirty cam- paign tactics, from 4 to 6 p.m. today in MSA Chambers on the third floor of the Michigan Union. Free pizza will be pro- vided. New pollshows 44 percent againstJ Forty-one percent support the measure, and 15 percent remain undecided DETROIT (AP) - According to a new poll, 44 percent of likely voters said they oppose a Novem- ber ballot proposal that would ban some affirmative action programs in Michigan, while 41 percent support it and 15 percent were undecided. The telephone poll of 643 likely voters was conducted Oct. 8-11 by Des Moines, Iowa-based Selzer & Co. for the Detroit Free Press and WDIV-TV in Detroit. The results were published yesterday by the newspaper. The poll had a sampling error margin of plus or minus 4 percent- age points. Following a poll taken in August, the same polling com- pany said 43 percent opposed the proposal, 41 percent supported it Prop 2 and 16 percent were undecided. That poll of 803 likely voters had a sampling error margin of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. An EPIC-MRA poll released Friday showed that 50 percent of likely voters supported the pro- posal, while 41 percent opposed it. Nine percent were undecided. That poll of 608 likely voters was conducted Oct. 10 through Thursday for The Detroit News and TV stations WXYZ in South- field, WOOD in Grand Rapids, WILX in Lansing and WJRT in Flint. It had a sampling error mar- gin of plus or minus 4 percentage points. The ballot proposal, called the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, is scheduled to go before state vot- ers Nov. 7. The proposed constitutional amendment would ban the use of race and gender preferences in university admissions and gov- ernment hiring. Similar propos- als have passed in California and Washington state. A2 school district heads to Screening of romantic film to court over same-sex benefits he hIld The Student Global AIDS Campaign will offer a free screening of the HBO film "The Girl in the Caf6" today from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in Forum Hall at Palmer Commons. The film is about an unlikely romance at the 2005 G8 Summit from writer of "Love Actually." CRIME NOTES Case is one of three same-sex benefits lawsuits moving through the state court system LANSING (AP) - The Michigan Supreme Court heard arguments yesterday in a lawsuit chal- lenging the Ann Arbor school district's same-sex benefits policy. But for now, the dispute involves a technicality - not the legality of providing health insurance and other benefits to workers' gay partners. The case is one of three same-sex benefits cases moving through Michigan's court system. It involves whether 17 taxpayers followed the proper procedure to stop the Ann Arbor Public Schools from offering benefits to gay couples. The taxpayers are represented by the Thomas More Law Center, a Christian-rights group that says governments and other public employers can't offer benefits to gay couples in future contracts under the Michigan constitution and state law. But the state appeals court dismissed the Ann Arbor case in 2005 and ruled the taxpayers didn't "demand" that the district stop providing the ben- efits to employees' gay partners. They had sent let- ters to school board members asking them to stop the policy. The appeals court said the letters were merely a request, not a true demand for legal action. The same-sex benefits issue primarily stems from a 2004 voter-approved constitutional amendment making the union between a man and a woman the only agreement recognized as a marriage "or similar union for any purpose." The appeals court, which heard arguments over the constitutionality of same-sex benefits in April, could rule in that case soon. Also, an Ing- ham County judge earlier this month dismissed a separate challenge to same-sex benefits at Michi- gan State University, ruling the plaintiffs had no standing to sue. Get above the crowd. 9 SUBURBAN HUMMER 1.888.385.8388 . .d...N .-N sgn stoien Trom residence hall Young candidate A sign was stolen from Alice Lloy Residente Darontnt s gears up for election day morning, the Department of Public Safety reported. (AP) - Eric Gregory is used against an incumbent in a tradi- Wallet stolen at 'U' hospital A wallet was stolen from the University Hospital early Tuesday evening, DPS reported. THIS DAY In 'U' History UAC decides on 1930s theme for homecoming October 19, 1973 - Organiz- ers at the University Activities Center have planned a 1930s theme for the homecoming extravaganza this year, with a Depression, New Deal, gangster and "brother can you spare a dime" feeling. Activities will include a 1930s look-alike contest, an egg-drop challenge and a "They Shoot Horses Don't They" marathon dance. The look-alike contest will begin today at noon on the Diag. Competitors are asked to dress up as celebrities from the decade. The judges' favorite look- alikes will be awarded free tickets to the homecoming con- certs. Contestants in the egg-drop competition will be challenged to help an egg survive the drop from the third story of the West Engineering Building. A tie in the competition will lead to egg drops from successively higher floors of the building. For a $2 entry fee, couples can enter the dance marathon and dance to 1930s tunes for as long as they can last. It will begin at 3 p.m. today at the Markley Hall Residence Hall snack bar. Onlookers need only pay a quarter to watch the contestants. Silent films will be shown simul- taneously. For those who are enjoying the 1970s, UAC has arranged for B. B. King and Judy Collins to per- form at Hill Auditorium today and tomorrow. Both concerts will begin at 8 p.m.