Iie 1Nidiga D~tal1i~lj Ann Arbor, Michigan Tuesday, January 15, 2008 michigandaily.com COCA-COLA CONTROVERSY .Coke cleared in India investigation 'U' says it will continue to deal with company after seeing first of two reports By KELLYFRASER Daily NewsEditor Based on a report of the company's environmental standards in India released yesterday, the University has agreed to continue purchasing Coca- Cola products. Some students whose activism helped spur the report though, say the findings don't change their opposition to the University's dealings with the company. The University commissioned the report in response to a now-defunct student campaign to investigate the company's environmental standards in India and alleged human rights vio- lations in Colombia. The campaign, which was led by the Coalition to Cut Contracts with Coca-Cola, began in 2004. It reached its peak when the University briefly suspended its con- tracts with Coke in late 2005. Students claimed that Coke's prac- tices in the two countries violated the University's Vendor Code of Conduct, which outlines standards for com- panies conducting business with the University. After a 16-month investigation, The Energy and Resources Institute, an independent environmental research organization based in New Delhi, FOR MORE INFORMATION... Includingthe documents from the Coke report, see www.michigandaily.com found that two of the company's six plants examined in the report were contributing to water shortages in the areas surrounding the facilities, but cleared the company of allegations of high pesticide levels in both the water used to make the beverages and the water being discharged by the plant. See COKE, Page 2 COMMENCEMENT 2008 Big House could. still1 be an opt-ion At meeting, 'U' officials say Michigan Stadium still a possibility for April 26 ceremony By ELAINE LAFAY Daily Staff Reporter Spring Commencement could still be held at Michi- gan Stadium, University officials said at a forum yes- terday. Students have protested the University's announce- ment last week that it would hold graduation at East- ern Michigan University, using websites and Facebook groups to mobilize. The forum was held to give students the oppor- tunity to voice concerns about the plans, which University officials said became necessary because of the ongoing construction of luxury boxes at the stadium. After hearing the background behind the decision from University officials, students took the floor to voice their frustrations, ask further questions and pro- pose alternatives that would bring the ceremony back to campus. These options included holding the ceremony in the Diag or at Crisler Arena with overflow seating at Hill Auditorium. Many students said they just wanted to be inAnn Arbor for their graduation. Michelle Pate, director of University and Devel- opment Events, said the administration needed to gather more information to determine how feasible holding commencement in the Big House would be. Pate said there are safety concerns because the sta- dium might not have enough entry and exit portals at this point. The' number of portals would be reduced from 44, which is how many the stadium has for foot- ball games, to between four and six because of the con- struction, she said. One option under consideration is holding gradua- tion in one corner of the stadium on the North or South side because the East and West sides would be inacces- sible. University officials said they had thought com- mencement could still take place at Michigan Stadium despite the construction until the middle of December, when they began looking at other options. Pate said various factors like the number of tick- ets available to each student were main concerns of the administration. University officials said that any commencement venue would need at least 31,500 See COMMENCEMENT, Page 7 FOR MORE ON THE STADIUM... Indluding a columnoand letters to the Daily, see Opinion, Page 4. Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich rr sponds to a question about medical marijuana from Renee Wolf,thefirstMchigander who was prescribed the drug Kucinich campaign stops on campus cand tha B' At a yesterd Dennis for free and fc and un healthc for U.S. Democratic More than 500 people - includ- inghigh schoolstudents and elderly idate draws more adults and entire families - packed into the National Science Auditori- n 500 to speech um for the rally, at which Kucinich explained the importance of voting y DANIEL STRAUSS in the state's primary. Daily Staff Reporter "Tomorrow is an election which no one should take for granted campaign stop on campus because this is Michigan's oppor- ay, presidential candidate tunity and it's your opportunity Kucinich (D-Ohio) called to change the entire debate within college education at two- the Democratic Party," Kucinich our-year public colleges said. "And there needs to be a real iversities, a not-for-profit debate on issues, not providing a are system and more jobs Democratic version on the war as citizens. opposed to a Republican version of the war." Kucinich, one of the four Demo- crats who will appear on the state's primary ballot, visited the Uni- versity for a rally sponsored by Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Students for Kucinich and the Uni- versity chapter of the College Dem- ocrats. The other Democratic hopefuls chose not to campaign in Michi- gan to protest the state's decision to move its primary up to Jan. 15., a violation of party rules. Kucinich garnered zero percent of the vote in the Iowa caucus on Jan. 3 and 1.4 percent of the vote in New Hampshire's Jan. 8th pri- mary. Most national polls predict Kucinich will finish the Michigan primary with about two to three percent of the vote. During his speech, Kucinich focused on setting himself apart from the other presidential candi- dates. "I'm the only candidate for pres- ident who voted against the war, who voted against funding the war 100 percent of the time, who voted against the Patriot Act - because I read it - who stands for a non- for-profit healthcare system, who See KUCINICH, Page 7 In A2, Lieberman throws support behind McCain One day before state primary, few students turn out to greet Connecticut senator By JACOB SMILOVITZ Daily StaffReporter Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) ral- lied in Ann Arbor yesterday to support Sen. John McCain's bid for the presi- dency. The event was held in the atrium of the McKinley Towne Centre in Ann Arbor and featured speeches followed by a town hall-style question-and- answer session. About 100 people sporting McCain stickers, only a handful of whom were University students, turned out to show their support. In his speech, Lieberman didn't shy away from addressing the importance of the Michigan primary for McCain's prospects of becoming president. "This primary, in Michigan, is so critically important," Lieberman said. "I honestly believe that if John McCain wins it here, he's going to win it every- where, and be the next president of the United States." LSA junior Justin Zatkoff, who deliv- ered a speech before Lieberman and is the co-chair of Midwest Students for McCain, said in an interview after the event that students should support McCain because he will be able to create jobs inthe state of Michigan. "I encourage every Michigan student to think about one thing: Do they want See LIEBERMAN, Page 2 Vote today Both major parties are holding their primaries. When you get to your polling place, you'll need to choose a Democratic or Republican ballot. Hillary Clinton is the only leading Democratic candidate on that party's ballot, If you support Barack Obama or John Edwards, don't write their names in - your vote won't count. Backers of those candidates are urging voters to show their support by marking the "uncommitted" box. FIND YOUR PRECINCT online at publius.org POLLS ARE OPEN todayfrom 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. IF YOU'RE A NEW VOTER who registered by mail, you must bring a photo ID or a documentlthat lists your name and address. Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) made the case for Republican presidential candidate John McCain at the McKinley Towne Centre in Ann Arbor. McCain will campaign in Ypsilanti today. TODAY'S WEATHER HI: 31 GOT A NEWS TIP? LO: 21 Call 734-763-2459 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and letus know. ON THE DAILY BLOGS Coverage ofttoday's state primaries MICHIGANDAILY.COM/THEWIRE INDEX NEWS..................................2 CROSSWORD.........................6 Vol. CXVIII,No.76 OPINION .............................4 CLASSIFIEDS ..................... 6 Q0n8nTheMichiganDaily ARTS.................. 5 SPORTS ........ ...............................8 michigondaily.com