First in a series of coach candidates profiles
Sports, Page 5
Wi. e lici~an &xiIa1 j

Arn Arbor, Michigan

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

michigandaily.com

Apparel
company
accused of
racial bias
New Era factory in Alabama cited
by labor monitoring group
ByANDY KROLL
Daily Staff Reporter
A New Era Cap Company facility that distributes
hats with University trademarks is under investiga-
tion by a national labor rights group for allegedly
racially discriminating against workers in pay, hiring
and promotion decisions.
The Worker Rights Consortium, a Washington,
D.C.-baaed labor monitoring group, said in a state-
ment last week that it would proceed with "a full fac-
tory assessment" of the distribution facility in Mobile,
Ala.. after black employees reported discriminatory
wage and hiring practices.
New Era spokeswoman Dana Marciniak said the
allegations made by the employees were "entirely
false" and that New Era would only allow an investi-
gation of the Mobile facility by a third-party auditor
agreed upon by the WRC and New Era.
ScottNova,executive directoroftheWRC,wouldn't
comment on specific details regardingthe WRC's dis-
crimination allegations, but he said his organization
wouldn't agree to a third-party auditor to conduct the
Mobile facility assessment.
"We don't hire contractors to do our research,"
Nova said.
The Mobile facility is New Era's main domestic and
international distribution facility, Marciniak said.
According to the WRC, the facility currently distrib-
See HATS, Page 7

RODRIGO GAYA/Daily
Bard College Prof. Joel Kovel spoke at Rackham Amphitheatre last night. Kovel is the author of an anti-Zionist book distributed by the University of Michigan Press that sparked controversy
His book under fire, author speaks at'U'

Kovel's book started
controversy at
University Press
By ANDY KROLL
Daily StaffReporter
Before a capacity crowd at Rackham
Amphitheatre last night, Joel Kovel,
author of the controversial book pub-

lished by the University Press "Over-
coming Zionism," emphasized the
importance of protectingcritical voices
in discussion involving the Israeli-Pal-
estinian conflict.
"There is an absolute need for criti-
cal voices and not allowing us to suc-
cumb to pressures that are trying to
stifle open discussion," said Kovel,
whose lecture was sponsored by Stu-
dents Allied for Freedom and Equality,
a pro-Palestinian group.
Kovel discussed what he believes is

the only solution to the Israeli-Pales-
tinian conflict, which is also the focus
of "Overcoming Zionism", the creation
of a single, secular, democratic state.
Although Kovel, who is a professor
of social studies at Bard College, said
he'd faced significant resistance and
intimidation from pro-Israel organiza-
tions like Stand With Us regarding his
book's message, he told those in atten-
dance that he felt the momentum shift-
ing away from the "oppressive" Zionist
groups.

"I think that (Zionist groups) have
overreached themselves and got caught
up in promoting a hideous war in Iraq
and they're paying for it," Kovel said.
"The debacle of Iraq may yet prove to
be the opening point for a profound
reassessment of the Zionist lobby:'
The University of Michigan Press
currently distributes Kovel's book as
part of its distribution contract with
the London-based left-wing publisher
Pluto Press.
See KOVEL, Page 8

Study: State must
boost minority ed

FESTIVAL FOLK DANCE

Athletes skirted
scheduling rules

Report says
state does good job
enrolling high school
grads in college
By DANIEL STRAUSS
Daily StaffReporter
The state of Michigan needs to
increase the number of black and
low-income citizens who gradu-
ate from two- and four-year uni-
versities in order to strengthen
Michigan's delicate economy,
according to a report released last
week.
The report, published by the
California-based National Center
for Higher Education Manage-
ment Systems and Jobs for the
Future, assessed the strengths
and weaknesses of each state.
It stressed the importance of

increasing the percentage of col-
lege graduates in Michigan.
Michigan fared reasonably
well in the survey, which said that
in order to solve Michigan's eco-
nomic, problems, improvements
in education are essential.
"TodayMichiganranksslightly
behind the nation in the percent-
age of adults ages 25-64 who have
a college degree," the report said.
"Assuming that current trends in
college completion and in-migra-
tion of college-educated adults
continue, Michigan is expected to
move slightly ahead of the nation
on this measure in 2025."
Stephen DesJardins, an asso-
ciate professor in the School of
Education, said the reportseemed
accurate , but he said he was cau-
tious about projecting 25 years
into the future.
"That's an awful long time,"
DesJardins said of the long-term
See STUDY, Page 8

'U' says advisers
have stopped using
athletes' passwords
By EMILY BARTON
DailyStaffReporter
Student-athletes had been giv-
ing their unignames and pass-
words to academic advisers so the
advisers could sign the athletes
up for classes, according to a Uni-
versity Audit released earlier this
month. University officials say
they're putting a stop to the prac-
tice, which violates University
policies.
But LSA senior Allie Shafner,
a member of the Student Athlete
Advisory Committee, a student-
athlete organizationthataddress-
es issues that arise within the Big
Ten or the Athletic Department,
said at the group's Nov. 6 meet-

ing that advisers told the students
that if they need to miss their
enrollment appointments, they
can give their Wolverine Access
passwords to someone they trust,
like a friend or adviser.
Shafner, a member of the wom-
en's tennis team, said she was
never asked to share her Wol-
verine Access login or password
with her adviser. But she said she
understands why students might
do so because athletes aren't
given any scheduling priority.
Enrollment appointments are
scheduled in blocks. Each stu-
dent is assigned an arbitrary time
within a block based on how many
credits he or she has.
Shafner said athletes have lim-
ited time throughout the week to
take classes because of practice
and competition schedules, soit's
important for them to be able to
register as soon as possible.
See PASSWORDS, Page 8

Engineering senior Monica Madrid performs a Folklorico Dance, a dance native to
Mexico, at the Winter Traditions Festival last night in Chesebrough Auditorium.

COLLEGE DEGREES BY RACE/ETHNICITY
Percent of people in Michigan with post-secondary degrees
S r

Trial starts for woman charged after '06 talk

60
40
20
0

Wi
wi
P(

lkerson charged lecture in the Michigan League.
Jury selection for the case took
ith obstructing place yesterday in 15th District
Court.
olice at lecture Prosecutors will try to show that
Catherine Wilkerson interfered
By JULIE ROWE with the arrest of Blaine Coleman,
DailyStaffIdeporter a protester at the November 2006
event.
al is set to begin today for Wilkerson's attorneys, Hugh
Arbor doctor charged with Davis and Wilson Tanner, will
tg police and emergency assert that Wilkerson was respond-
technicians after an inci- ing to police brutality and harmful
t year in whichprotesters treatment of Coleman by an emer-
rrested after disrupting a gency medical technician, Davis

said.
The lecture on U.S. foreign pol-
icy in Iran, given by Georgetown
University Prof. Raymond Tanter,
was met with protest from several
Ann Arbor residents, who heckled
and interrupted Tanter throughout
his speech.
Protesters chanted "Hands off
Iran" and "Tanter is a pig". Tan-
ter said he abandoned his planned
remarks in response to the inter-
ruptions and instead answered
questions from audience members
and protesters.

The protesters were accus-
ing Tanter of being a supporter of
unjustified military action in Iran
and the Middle East.
Wilkerson is charged with two
misdemeanors charges for attempt-
ing to assault, obstruct or resist a
police officer and an emergency
medical technician.
According to the Diane Brown,
Department of Public Safety
spokeswoman, several warnings
were issued to the protesters that
their interruptions violated the
See TRIAL, Page 7

Asian/Pacific
Islander

Native Race/ethnicity
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IONAL INST
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