Iie 1idigan Bail Ann Arbor, Michigan )NE-HUNDRED-EIHT1'EN S OF EDITORIA LFREEDOM Monday, April 14, 2008 michigandaily.com STEM CELREMSEARCH IN MICHIGAN Repeal of research ban seeks spot on ballot 'U' officials can't AN OVERTURNING POINT? support initiative, Whatcould be on this falls ballot but support change Theprnoposedamendmentwou'ldnot change the state ban on human cloning. to stem cell laws Michigan residents wouldhaveaccess to any therapies and cures that may result from the research. The language By EMILY BARTON stipulates that the research mustbe Daily News Editor conducted ethically, and the only embryos that will be used are those that Hoping to overturn the state's wouldotherwise be discarded at fertil- ban on embryonic stem cell itycinics. Eryos can be bought research, a ballot question com- low laws set in place by the Michigan mittee is moving forward with governmentaslongas thoselawsaren't plans to place an initiative on the toorestrictive, November ballot allowing voters to decide whether the research Campaign Director MarkBur- should be legal in Michigan. ton said the committee wouldn't The Stem Cell Research Bal- say how many signatures have lot Question Committee, formed been collected so far, but said in October, has until July 7 to he thinks the group will gather gather 380,126 signatures - the enough to place the initiative on number required to place an ini- the ballot in the fall. tiative on the state's ballot. See STEM CELLS, Page 3A LENDING A HAND Senior captain Kevin Porter, who led all college hockey players in points duringthe regular season and led Michigan to the Frozen Four, accepts the Hobey Baker award at a ceremony on Friday. Though Porter received much praise during the hockey season, he tried to downplay his feat. Winning the Hobeyhumbly Senior captain Porter earned college hockey's highest award, but never took it for granted DENVER - Kevin Porter never wanted to be in the spotlight this season, but in the end, there was no question he earned it. Michigan's senior captain was the deserv- ing recipient of the Hobey NATE Baker Memorial SANDALS Award, given to the nation's best college hockey player, Friday at the Pepsi Center. Porter's work ethic and skill set him apart on the ice. But in street clothes, he's just a normal kid, and that's what makes him such a spe- cial winner. As the nation's scoring leader for most of the season, Porter received more media attention than he knew what to do with. Most play- ers would have gotten a big head. If anything, Porter shrunk from the spotlightcwhen it shone brightest. Most superstars have never met a microphone or a camera they didn't like. When Porter sees one, you can almost tell he's thinking of how he can finish the interview as soon as possible. "It's kind of an old-school thing, but it's great to see a young player in today's era of so much publicity and so much attention just remain humble," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. If there were a Heisman Trophy winner walking around campus, everyone would turn and stare as he passed by on the Diag. The Hobey is college hockey's Heis- FOR MORE ON PORTER'S WIN,SEE SPORTSMONDAY man, but for his four years at Michigan, Porter has remained an anonymous face inAnn Arbor. Maybe you've sat next to him in class. Chances are you didn't know it. More people on this campus could recognize Porter if they saw See PORTER, Page 7A HIGHER EDUCATION POLICY State lawmaker wants ten-percent rule Automatic college admission policy has been implemented in Texas, Calif. and Fla. By KELLY FRASER Daily News Editor A state lawmaker has proposed a plan that would guarantee admis- sion to any of Michigan's 15 public universities to students in the top 10 percent of their class at Michi- gan high schools. The plan, modeled after Texas's decade-old 10-percent law, was introduced last week by State Rep. Rick Jones (R-Grand Ledge), who said the plan would ensure that students from rural farming com- munities or urban areas would have the same access to education as stu- dents from affluent suburbs. Critics of the plan say it would infringe on the independence of Michigan's universities and force them to admit students who don't meet a college's academic stan- dards. Because Michigan's 15 public universities have autonomy under the state constitution, Jones said he plans to propose the admissions system as a constitutional amend- ment. For the amendment to appear on the ballot this November, both houses of the Michigan Legislature must approve the measure by July to give voters the required three months to review the measure. Jones said he hopes to introduce a draft of his plan to the legislature this week. Percent-based admissions plans have often been discussed and implemented in states where affir- mative action admissions policies have been struck down. Since the ballot initiative Propos- al 2 passed in Nov. 2006, race- and gender-based affirmativeactionhas been banned in state institutions. The Texas 10-percent law after which Jones is modelinghis legisla- tion was proposed there to circum- vent a federal appeals court ruling banning the consideration of race in college admissions. California and Florida have followed suit with similar plans since Texas banned the practice in 1997. Under California's Eligibility in Local Context plan, first used in 2001, the top 4 percent of high school seniors are guaranteed admission to any University of California campus. Under Florida's See ADMISSIONS, Page 8A Ann Arbor residents and Kiwanis International members Don Kern (left) and John Bassett were volunteers during the organization's rummage sale at the activities center located next to the Blind Pig on Saturday. CRIME ON OTHER CAMPUSES Threat closes Oakland University for two days THE ORDER OF ANGELL Once-controversial senior society announces members of 'Pride of 2009' Graffiti found in bathroom referred to campus attacks today ROCHESTER, Mich. (AP) - Threatening graffiti found in three men's restrooms led Oakland Uni- versity to cancel campus classes, sports and cultural activities for two days. The school said it sent out a secu- rity alert Saturday after finding one threatening message, and officials said they found similar messages in two nearby buildings later that day. The school didn't reveal contents of the threats. The activities cancel- lation is in effect for yesterday and today. Dormitories remained open, although university spokeswoman Michelle Moser said students were encouraged to go home if possible. Campus officials "are taking this threat seriously and are closing to ensure the safety of the entire cam- pus community," university Police Chief Sam Lucido said. The messages referred to possi- ble on-campus attacks on "4/14" - or April 14 - Lucido told the Detroit Free Press. The threats didn'ttarget anyone specifically, and authori- ties believe the same person left all three threats. Group aims to connect student leaders on campus By LINDY STEVENS Daily StaffReporter The Order of Angell, the elite senior society previously known as Michigamua, announced on Friday the names of its new class of students for the upcoming academic year. The 21 students who comprise the group's "Pride of 2009" class include presidents of student organizations, captains of Uni- versity athletic teams and stu- dent government leaders. For the past 106 years, a group of up to 25 University seniors has been chosen by the group's pre- vious class of members. Students are individually selected, or "tapped," to continue the group's mission, which is "to advance exceptional leadership through a lifelong loyalty to and engage- ment with the University of Michigan," according to a press release announcing the group's 2008-2009 members. James Burrill Angell, a former president of the University and the group's namesake, is largely See ORDER, Page 8A NEW ORDER MEMBERS Among the group's"Pride of2009" class arethe presidentsof MSA and LSA-SG, student-athletes and various leaders of campus organizations. Adam Abraham: Baseball Ryan Bouchard: Army ROTC Kristine Cramer: Solar CarTeam Danny Fardig: Ice Hockey Andrew Grossman: The Michigan Daily Mike Holody: Men's Soccer Jenny Howard: Dance Marathon StephanieHoyer: Field Hockey Ashley tssa: Society of WomentEngineers Ashwin Lalendran: MPowered Entrepre- neurship JamieMartone: Men'sSwimming Katie Miler: Homen's Soccer Tim Miller: Ice Hockey JoseNunez: InterfraternityCouncil ' TiffanyOfili:Women's Track and Field Ashwin Ramnath: Indian American Stu- dent Association Sabrina Shingwani: Michigan Student Assembly Gabrielle Sims: Black Volunteer Network Madeline Stano: AmnestyInternational, Human Rights ThroughEducation Neil amhe: Interraternity Council Leslie Zaikis: LSA-Stdent Government HONORARY MEMBER: Carol Hutchins, Coach, Michigan Softball sOURcE: THE ORDER OF ANGELL WEATHER HI:58 TOMORROW LO:36 GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-763-2459 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know. ON THE DAILY BLOGS Things Dick Cheney likes - other than torture MICHIGANDAILY.COM/THEPODIUM INDEX NEW S...............................2A CROSSW ORD.....................SA Vol. CXVIll,No.133 OPINION ... ............4A CLASSIFIEDS.............. ..6A m©@ oOTheichiano aily ARTS... .............5A SPORTSMONDAY................1B A