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INE UNDIIEREEIGHEN YEAR1S 01' ED IT( IA \I FR{EEDOM

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Monday, February 4, 2008

michigandailycom

SPRING COMMENCEMENT
Ceremony
will be on
Diag or
Elbel Field
University officials eliminate
Big House as option, citing safety
concerns and financial risks
By ANDY KROLL
Daily News Editor
Although some graduating seniors might have been
relieved to find out that this spring's commencement
ceremony won't be held at Eastern Michigan Univer-
sity, they'll be disappointed to hear that it won't be
held at the Big House either.
The University's Commencement Advisory Com-
mittee announced Friday that the final two venue
options for this spring's commencement ceremony are
Elbel Field, located on South Campus, and the Diag.
A letter released by University Provost Teresa Sul-
livan and E. Royster Harper, the University's vice
president for student affairs, cited the difficulty and
environmental impact of converting the Big House's
construction site into a safe venue, lack of emergency
vehicle access and concerns about the safety of hold-
ing the ceremony while the Big House was under con-
struction as reasons why it was not a feasible option.
The letter also said there would be financial risks
if the Big House's construction schedule were inter-
rupted and legal risks if the construction contract
between the University and the contractor were
altered to accommodate the ceremony.
Officials were also reluctant to risk preventing the
stadium from being ready for this fall's opening foot-
ball game.
"In our judgment, the number and magnitude of
risks, uncertainties, problems and costs associated
with holding an event for 25,000 people in the midst
of a major construction zone are simply too great," the
letter said.
The letter said the Commencement Advisory Com-
mittee chose Elbel Field, located at 336 Hill Street,
and the Diag as finalists because both sites allow for a
single ceremony that could be attended by all graduat-
ing students.
Both venues, the letter said, could fit enough seats
to meet the amount of guest tickets desired by stu-
See COMMENCEMENT, Page 3A

Students walk past newspaper racks in Angell Hall on Sunday. A proposed policy would regulate which student publications could distribute inLSA buildings on campus.
Policy raises free speech questions

LSA wants to regulate
distribution of student
publications in
campus buildings
By ANDY KROLL
Daily News Editor
A new policy being developed by
the College of Literature, Science and
the Arts that would regulate which
student organizations and publica-

tions can pass out fliers, distribute
publications and post informational
signs in LSA buildings has come under
criticism from legal experts who say
the policy could violate students' free
speech rights.
Under the new policy, student orga-
nizations and publications would
have to be under the oversight of
the Board for Student Publications
- which oversees the Gargoyle humor
magazine, the Michiganensian year-
book and The Michigan Daily - or
recognized by the Michigan Student
Assembly in order to distribute or post

student-created print material in an
LSA building.
In addition, all student organiza-
tions or publications would need to
comply with University policies sepa-
rate from the policies of the Board for
Student Publications or the Michigan
Student Assembly. The rules prohibit
discrimination and harassment, and
bar publications from displaying or
distributing advertising that pro-
motes the consumption of alcohol or
other drugs.
To gain permission to post or dis-
tribute student-created fliers, posters

or publications, each organization or
publication would have to apply with
and receive permission from the LSA
Facilities and Operations Office.
The policy also says that no print
material may be distributed before
Sept.15 and after Apr. 14, which would
impact any student organization or
publication distributing material
during the first two weeks of the fall
semester and during the University's
spring and summer semesters.
A majority of the buildings on the
University's central campus - includ-
See POLICY, Page 7A

'U' issues warning
to licensee New Era

Hip-hop conference tackles image issues

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t maker accused a Washington, D.C.-based labor
monitoring group, from work-
'discriminating ers at New Era's Mobile, Ala-
bama, distribution facility. The
against black, group received complaints that
the company was discriminating
'emale workers against female and black workers
in decisions regarding pay, hiring
By ANDY KROLL and promotions.
Daily News Editor The WRC also claimed that
workers at the Mobile facility told
letter sent to the New Era them that New Era had violated
ompany Friday, the Uni- workers' rights to associate when
y's Advisory Committee workers attempted to join a local
bor Standards and Human Teamsters union branch in April.
urged the hat maker to The workers successfullyvoted to
ss allegations of racial dis- join the Teamsters in July.
nation against black work- The Mobile factory is one of
an Alabama facility or risk New Era's domestic and inter-
gering its relationship with national distribution facilities,
niversity. according to New Era spokes-
ithout drawing conclusions woman Dana Marciniak. It cur-
the validity of the charges," rently distributes hats for more
tter states, "we strongly than 60 American universities.
ou to engage in an expedi- Marciniak couldn't be reached
and transparent process to for comment Friday.
sine whether (1) personnel NewErais one ofonlyfive com-
s have resulted, intention- panies that produces headwear
notindisadvantagingAfri- for the University, said Kristen
merican and/or pro-union Ablauf, the University's director
f so, (2) institute a remedia- of trademark licensing."
Ian to address this." She said New Era is expected
letter responds to com- to generate between $65,000 and
s received in September by $96,000 in royalties throughout
Vorker Rights Consortium, See NEW ERA, Page 3A

Artists, students
weigh in on negative
perceptions of genre
By JALYNN LASSIC
For theDaily
Hip-hop culture has often come
under fire in the media, accused
of misogyny, materialism and vio-
lence.
But to the roughly 100 midwest-
ern students who converged on the
Michigan Union this weekend for
the University's first Hip Hop Con-
gress Summit, it's an art form and

lifestyle that needs to overcome
those negative trends and percep-
tions.
Members of the summit's panel
included Kamikaze, a popular
rapper and the southern regional
director of Hip Hop Congress, and
Professor Griff, a former member
of the rap group Public Enemy.
During the discussion, which
took place in the Michigan Union,
Griff said many mainstream rap-
pers have disrespected hip-hop
music, leading some to think that
every aspect of hip-hop culture is
negative. He compared hip-hop to
a home, saying, "You would not let
See HIP-HOP, Page 7A

Rapper Kamikaze performs in the Michigan Union on Saturday. The concert was
part of a series of activities sponsored by the Hip Hop Congress Midwest Summit.

Link buses often overcrowded for Oxford residents

City officials say
adding more buses
would cost too much
By DANIEL STRAUSS
Daily StaffReporter
Three days a week, when Ray
Reaves has class at 10 a.m. the
LSA freshman leaves his room in
Oxford Housing to catch the bus.
And, Reeves said, so are about 50

other people.
As a result, he said, the bus often
doesn't have room for everyone,
meaning he has a choice between
a cramped shuttle bus or walking
to class.
"By the time itgets to the Oxford
stop, itonlycanleton fiveto tOpeo-
ple, so I always end up walking,"
Reaves said. "There's always like
50 people, so a good 30 people end
up walking there everyday, which
really sucks - especially when it's
been like five degrees out."

The problem Reaves raised is an
everyday occurrence for residents
of Oxford Housing, located on
Oxford Road about 5 minutes east
of campus.
Many students who live there
rely on The Link - a free bus ser-
vice that runs through Central
Campus - to get to and from class.
But because the buses are
normally full and their pickup
intervals are too far apart, many
students are left out in the cold to
make their daily commutes.

LSA freshman Beth Gombert
said she's often late to classbecause
of the delays, which usually take
about 15 minutes.
David Miller, executive director
of parking and transportation at
the University, said the crowding
on The Link buses doesn't neces-
sarily mean there should be more
service provided near oxford.
"I don't believe the ridership
justifies adding any more service
there," Miller said. "We don't see
See OXFORD, Page 3A


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