The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

NEWS BRIEFS
NAIROBI, Kenya
Rebels clash with
Chadian gov't at
presidential palace
Hundreds of rebels charged into
Chad'scapitalaboard pickup trucks
yesterday, clashing with govern-
ment troops around the presiden-
tial palace in the most forceful
attempt yet to oust President Idriss
Deby.
The violence endangered a $300
million global aid operation sup-
porting millions of people in the
former French colony and also
delayed the deployment of the
European Union's peacekeeping
mission to both Chad and neigh-
boring Central African Republic.
Libya's official news agency,
JANA, reported that Chadian rebel
leader Mahamat Nouri agreed to
a cease-fire yesterday after speak-
ing to Libyan leader Moammar
Gadhafi, who was appointed by the
African Union to mediate in the
crisis.
BELGRADE, Serbia
Pro-Western
president victorious
in Serbian election
Serbia's pro-Western president
narrowly defeated an ally of late
autocrat Slobodan Milosevic in a
closely contested election yester-
day only days before an expected
declaration of independence by
the breakaway Kosovo province.
President Boris Tadic won 51
percent of the vote, while Tomislav
Nikolic, who ruled with Milosevic
during the wars in the Balkans in
the 1990s, had 47 percent, accord-
ing to the state electoral commis-
"Serbia has shown its great
democratic potential," Tadic said
in his victory speech, praising
Nikolic for "the number of votes
he has won."
Nikolic congratulated Tadic
but added, "I will remain to be his
tough opposition."
Tadic's supporters celebrated
in downtown Belgrade, waving
Serbian, EU and Democratic Party
flags and honking car horns.
BAGHDAD
Official: Bombings
* prove al-Qaida
remains a threat
A top U.S. commander said yes-
terday that two bombings carried
out by women wrapped in bombs
that killed nearly 100 people in
Baghdad underscored that al-Qaida
in Iraq remains a serious threat, but
he vowed the military would "not
give back any terrain" to the terror
network.
Iraqis in Baghdad demanded
more protection for markets, saying
one of the bombers wasn't searched
because she was known as local
beggar and the male guards were
reluctant to search women because
of Islamic sensitivities.

KIGALI, Rwanda
Rwandan quakes
leave 39 dead,
hundreds injured
Two earthquakes struck hours
apart in Rwanda and neighboring
Congo on yesterday, killing at least
39 people and injuring hundreds of
others, officials said. Some of the vic-
tims died when the church they were
attending collapsed.
The first, 6.0-magnitude quake
struck Congo early Sunday, accord-
ing to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The second quake, which registered.
5.0, hit a few hours later near the
countries' border, in Rwanda's rural
Rusizi district.
Thirty-four people were killed and
231 wounded in Rwanda, according
to a Ministry of Health hot line.
- Compiled from
Daily wire reports
399 3

NEW ERA
From Page 1A
the duration of its contract with
the University that expires in June
2012.
At least five different stores
near campus - including M-Den,
Ulrich's Spirit Shop and Moe's
Sport Shop - currently sell New
Era brand hats with the Universi-
ty's logo and colors.
The University pays the WRC
to submit reports to the Advisory
Committee regarding any potential
labor or human rights violations
committed by University licensees.
In a November interview, Mar-
ciniak said the allegations of racial
discrimination made by employees
at the Mobile facility were "entirely
false."
A report released last month by
the national chapter of the NAACP
also said that, after discussions
with New Era executives, New
Era workers and the Teamsters,
New Era "must shed practices that,
intentionally or unintentionally,
discriminate against non-white
and female workers."
Larry Root, chair of the Advisory
Committee, said the letter wasn't
intended to be a direct threat to
New Era and its contract with the
University.
"The (Advisory Committee's)
goal is to work with a licensee
toward remediation, not to just cut
contracts," Root said.
On January 25, the University of
Wisconsin at Madison terminated
its contract with New Era, citing
the findings of the NAACP report
and the company's refusal to allow
the WRC to conduct an investiga-
tion at the Mobile facility.
The Advisory Committee's letter
urges New Era to allow the WRC to
play a role in a factory audit of the
Mobile facility - something New
Era has refused to do.
New Era vice president Tim
Freer said in a November letter
that it wouldn't allow the WRC to
conduct an inquiry into the Mobile

facility because it allowed the
National Labor Relations Board,
an independent federal agency that
governs relations between unions
and private employers, to conduct
an audit of the facility last fall.
Freer said that because the
NLRB's findings wouldn't have
any bearing on the WRC, it wasn't
going to allow the WRC to conduct
an audit.
"We simply can't agree to a uni-
lateral facility review by an orga-
nization that holds itself above the
law and believes it can completely
ignore the findings of the NLRB,"
Freer said.
Scott Nova, executive director
of the WRC, said in a November e-
mail to University officials that the
WRC doesn't allow licensees "veto
power over who will investigate a
factory that is the subject of a work-
er complaint."
The current allegations of racial
discrimination at the Mobile facil-
ity aren't the first time New Era's
labor practices have come under
question at the University.
In 2002, the University cut its
contract with the company after a
WRC assessment found that work-
ers at a New Era factory in Derby,
N.Y., suffered a disproportionately
high amount of workplace-related
injuries.
The University reinstated its
contract with New Era after the
company provided documentation
later that year showing it had fixed
the problems in the New York fac-
tory.

OXFORD
From Page 1A
increased frequency as something
that would make it necessary to
add another bus during the week.
If we were leaving people behind
that would justify it."
Ron Copeland, manager of
transportation for The Ride Bus
Service, said two Link buses go
along the Oxford Housing route.
The University pays for about
38 percent, or $33,000, of the ser-
vice's budget.
Other students criticized
crowding on the bus at peak class
hours.
"Not only have I seen them
leave people behind but it's not
safe to pile that many people on
to a bus," LSA junior Sarah Lin-
den said. "I've saton peoples' laps,
I've been piled on top of, I've been
COMMENCEMENT
From Page 1A
dents, according to the results of
last week's survey, gauging gradu-
ating students' preferences for the
ceremony.
Graduates would receive eight
tickets each if the ceremony were
to be held at Elbel Field. If held on
the Diag, graduates would receive
six tickets each.
A second survey will be sent to
the graduating class todayto gauge
student preferences on the two
venues. Officials will announce a

stepped on."
Copeland said the bus's over-
crowding is a concern, but that
adding another bus to the regu-
lar service is unlikely. He said the
busiest times are between 9:30
and 10 a.m. and around 4 p.m.
"The overcrowding is some-
thing in-house that we're taking a
look at," Copeland said.
Last semester, the Oxford Hall
Council contacted the Ann Arbor
Transportation Authority to dis-
cuss ways to improve the bus
service and perhaps have The
Link run to Oxford on the week-
ends. Transportation officials and
Oxford students not yet met.
Copeland said officials have
given thought to adding more
weekend service.
"As far as any additional service
on the weekend, those a-e some
financial services we have to con-
decision by Feb. 12, with another
student forum to take place the
following day so students can give
their feedback on the decision.
LSA senior Jane Rho said she
was disappointed that the Big
House had been completely ruled
out as an option, but nonethe-
less said she was thankful for the
University's efforts to incorporate
student input into this latest deci-
sion.
"I appreciate that they came out
and told us as soon as they knew,"
Rho said. "I didn't even know that
Elbel Field was being considered,
but I'm going to try to keep an

Monday, February 4, 2008 - 3A
sider," Copeland said. He added
that transportation officials are
looking into how much it would
cost to add another bus for service
during the week.
Ann Arbor Councilwoman Joan
Lowenstein (D-Ward 2), whose
district includes Oxford, said fix-
ing the overcrowding problem
appears to have more to do with
finances than negligence.
"I think it's kind of a money
issue. If they had more money,
they'd run it more often and on
weekends," Lowenstein said. "I
get annoyed at any bus that's not
on time. I think the AATA does,
too, and they strive to be on time."
Lowenstein said that, given the
students' concerns, things would
be better if there were another
bus.
"They really could use one more
bus," she said.
open mind about this."
LSA senior Justin Benson, vice
president of LSA Student Govern-
ment and a member of the adviso-
ry committee, said he was excited
about the two options available
for the ceremony. Having been
involved in the discussions that
led to the ruling out of the Big
House, he said he understood why
the stadium couldn't be used.
"The (CommencementAdvisory
Committee) and the administra-
tion are really going to work hard
to make sure these two locations
get the look and feel this senior
class deserves," Benson said.

Up to 8 Weeks 5Mystic
r0ed S~n Clu
Spr Va uva

lnformation Meeting
Tuesday, February 5
7:30 p.m.
International Center, Room 9
800.424.8580 www.peacecorps.gov


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i
t
I

Number of American service mem-
bers who have died in the war in
Iraq, according to The Associated
Press. The following deaths were
identified yesterday: '
Cpt. Michael A. Norman, 36,
Killeen, Tex.
Lt. David E. Schultz, 25, Blue
Island, Ill.

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