The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Monday, November 23, 2009 -- 3A
NEWS BRIEFS
DETROIT
Motown celebrates
50th anniversary
Black ties and gowns filled a ball-
room Saturday in a big-bucks salute
to Detroit-style royalty - the King
of Motown, the Queen of Soul and
the Kid of Rock.
Motown Records founder Berry
Gordy, along with Aretha Frank-
lin, Kid Rock and Motown's origi-
nal kid, Stevie Wonder, came to
Motown's original hometown for
the Motown 50 Golden Gala. The
50th-anniversary event, which
fetched $350 and up for a ticket,
W was a fundraiser for the Motown
Historical Museum. The museum
was the original home of Motown
Records Corp., which Gordy start-
ed with an $800 loan.
The event drew about 750 peo-
ple and many of the big names and
behind-the-scenes people from the
label, which moved to Los Angeles
in 1972. Detroit's output included
scores of hits, including "My Girl"
by The Temptations, "The Tears of a
Clown"by Smokey Robinson and the
Miracles, and "I Heard it Through.
the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye.
"The pleasure is mine to be here,"
Gordy said during a pre-concert
reception. "I'm thrilled Igotthe nur-
turing and all of the things Detroit
had to offer me. Motown could not
have made it in any other city."
NEW YORK
9/11 defendants will
plead 'not guilty'
The five men facing trial in the
Sept. 11 attacks will plead not guilty
so that they can air their criticisms of
U.S. foreign policy, the lawyer for one
of the defendants said yesterday.
Scott Fenstermaker, the lawyer
for accused terrorist Ali Abd al-
Aziz Ali, said the men would not
deny their role in the 2001 attacks
but "would explain what happened
and why they did it."
The U.S. Justice Department
announced earlier this month
that Ali and four other men
accused of murdering nearly
3,000 people in the deadliest ter-
rorist attack in the U.S. will face
a civilian federal trial just blocks
from the site of the destroyed
World Trade Center.
Ali, also known as Ammar al-
Baluchi, is a nephew of professed
9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh
Mohammed.
Mohammed, Ali and the others
will explain "their assessment of
American foreign policy," Fenster-
maker said.
CALABASAS, Calif.
Facebook incites
beating of pre-teen
Authorities say a 12-year-old
boy assaulted by a group of middle
school classmates in Southern Cali-
fornia may have been targeted after
an Internet posting urged students
to beat up redheads.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lt.
Richard Erickson says the boy, who
is redheaded, was kicked and hit in
two incidents Friday at A.E. Wright
Middle School in Calabasas. As
many as 14 students participated in
the attacks.
Erickson says the attackers may
have been motivated by a Face-
book message announcing that Fri-
day was "Kick a Ginger Day." The
posting may have been inspired by
an episode kf the television show
W"South Park."
The boy was not seriously hurt.
Erickson says there may be other
victims.
NEW YORK
Subway passenger
stabbed to death
A subway passenger stabbed to
death in front of horrified strap-
hangers has been identified as
36-year-old Dwight Johnson of
Brooklyn.
Authorities say some 30 passen-
gers watched as Gerardo Sanchez
ef the Bronx stabbed Johnson at
around 2 a.m. Saturday in an argu-
ment over a seat.
Police say the passengers were
trapped with the knife-wielding
attacker and his victim until the
train arrived at the station at Sev-
enth Avenue and 53rd Street.
Police say Sanchez was standing
*ever the blooedied victim when the
train doors epened. Johnson was
pronounced dead when the train
arrived at the station.
Sanchez, who's 37, was arrested
on charges of murder and weap-
ons possession. He had not been
arraigned on the charges as of yes-
terday afternoon.
- Compiled from
Daily wire reports
Senate Dems at o s over health care
Final passage of bill
will hinge on
moderate Democrats
and independents
Senate Democrats yesterday
sparred with each other over how
to fix the nation's troubled health
care system, the moderates threat-
ening to scuttle legislation if their
demands weren't met and the more
liberal members warning their
party leaders not to bend.
The dispute among Democrats
foretells of a rowdy floor debate
next month on legislation that
would extend health care coverage
to roughly 31 million Americans.
Republicans have already made
clear they aren't supporting the bill.
Final passage is in jeopardy,
even after the chamber's historic
60-39 vote Saturday night to begin
debate.
"I don't want a big-government,
Washington-run operation that
would undermine the ... private
insurance that 20 million Asseri-
cans now have," said Sen. Ben
Nelson, a conservative Nebraska
Democrat.
Nelson and three other mod-
erates - Democratic Sens. Mary
Landrieu of Louisiana and Blanche
Lincoln of Arkansas and Connecti-
cut independent Joe Lieberman
- agreed to open debate despite
expressing reservations on the
measure. Each of them has warned
that they might not support the
final bill.
SIGMA NU
From Page 1A
house, so SRC left and informed the
then-vice president that SRC would
contact Sigma Nueat a later time.
The following night the SRC
Executive Board voted to sanction
Sigma Nu with 12 weeks of social
probation because of the violations,
according to Mohr. Sigma Nu was
notified of the sanctions on Sept. 9.
Eckstein said what "really pissed
us off" most about the suspension
was that the fraternity took precau-
tions to ensure the party was safe
and regulated.
"We didn't want anything to get
unsafe but they marked us off for
stuff as we were kicking people out
of our house so it was kind of fran-
tic," he said. "And like I said, that
didn't sitwell in their eyes."
Following the IFC social proba-
tion sanction, Eckstein said Sigmea
Nu's nationals were required by the
fraternity's policy to suspend the
chapter from all activities pending
further investigation into the inci-
dent, which did occur.
Sigma Nuthen appealedthesanc-
tionesen the Greek Activities Review
Panel - the judicial panel for Greek
life. Eckstein said GARP looked into
Sigma Nu's disciplinary history and
found more issues than just the one
party. Because of these fndings,
GARPthen referred Sigma Nu to the
IFC for further punishments.
Sigma Nu's disciplinary history
dating back to 1998 includes many
significant transgressions and time
spent on social probation, according
to a document passed out to chapter
presidents at an Oct. 14 IFC meeting
and provided to the Daily by Parritz.
The documentstatedthat the fra-
ternity spent more than 50 percent
of the past four and a half years on
One ajr sickittypint is a
provisien that wuld allew Ae-
cans to buy a federal-run insurance
plan if their state allows it. Moder-
ates say they worry the so-called
public option will become a huge
and costly entitlement program
and that other requirements in the
bill could cripple businesses.
"I don't want to fix the problems
in our health care system in a way
that creates more of an economic
crisis," said Lieberman.
The sway held by such a small
group of senators has annoyed
their more liberal colleagues, who
'culd vote against a final bill if it
becomes too watered down.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio,
said he didn't think rank-and-file
Democrats wuld feel compelled
to go that far. At the same time,
Brown warned Democratic leaders
not to make too Iany concessions.
"I don't want four Democratic
senators dictating to the other 56
of us and to the rest of the country
- when the public option has this
much support -that (apublicoption
is) not going to be in it," said Brown.
The Senate bill would require
most Amsericans to carry instrance
and provide subsidies to those who
couldn't afford it. Large companies
could incurcosts ifthey did notpro-
vide coverage to their work force.
The insurance industry would
come under significant new regu-
lation under the bill, which would
first ease and then han the practice
of denying coverage on the basis of
pre-existing medical conditions.
Congressional budget analysts
put the legislation's cost at $979 bil-
social probation.
"Timeand timseagain,the chapter
has engaged in actions that violated
established policy and put students
and the community in danger," the
document stated.
Some of the listed infractionss
included four missed IFC meetings
in 2008 and hazing and other risk
management issues in 2005.
The document stated the IFC
would review and vote on Sigma
Nu's case at its weekly mseeting on
Oct. 21 and would give Sigma Nu
members the chance to speak.
IFC chapter presidents voted to
suspend Sigma Nu on Oct. 21. The
suspension included 13 conditions
specifically designed to rehabilitate
the chaptee, including 12 hours of
mandatory community service each
semester for each member.
During the suspension, the fra-
ternity was prohibited from host-
ing or participating in any event in
which alcohol would be served. Any
misconduct from any of Sigma Nu's
members would result in the frater-
nity's expulsion.
These terms were violated ons
Oct. 22 when two Sigma Nu mneme-
hers - a sophomore and a senior -
assaulted Barack at a srriy barn
dance social fuction, accordig to
a document sent to all IFC chapter
presidents motioningfor Sigma Nu's
"immediate expulsion," which was
provided to the Daily by Parritz.
Though Eckstein wasn't present
at the function, le said people pres-
ent told him there was a conflictethat
resulted in a call to the police. How-
ever, there were no charges filed
and there were no serious injuries,
according to Eckstein.
After this incident, the IFC chap-
ter presidents met and decided to
expel Sigma Nu after determining
that the fraternity didn't demon-
strate the ideals of Greek Life.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, (D-Nev.), speaks after the Senate voted to begin debate on health care legislation Saturdlay.
lion over a decade and say it would enable Obana to claim victory on "The thing that Our working
reduce deficits over the same peri- a major domestic priority when families need more than anything
od while extending coverage to 94 he delivers his'State of the Union else is to end these double-digit
percent of the eligible population. speech in January. With one-third cost increases that they're hav-
The eouse approved its version of Senate seats up for election in ing every single year with health
of the bill earlier this month on a 2010, politics will factor heavily insurance," Bennet said.
near party-line vote of 220-215. into the outcome of the debate over Democratic Sen.iChuck Schumer
Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the health care. of New York said he believes there
No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, said Sen. Michael Bennet, a junior are enough votes to include t pub-
the healthcarebill mustbepassedby Democrat who will be seeking his lie insurance option in the bill as
the end of the year so that President first full term next year in Colo- long as states were allowed to opt
Barack Obama and Congress can to rado, where many districts lean out. To do so, all 58 Democrats and
shift their attention to the economy conservative, said he would sup-- independent Sens. Lieberman and
and improvinggemploymentrates. port the health care overhaul even Bernie Sanders of Vermont would
Such a timeline also would ifdoing so means losing his seat. have to support it.
Two deciding factors led to the
expulsion, according to the docu-
ment calling for Sigma Nu's imme-
diate expulsion: the assault and
Eckstein's "chastising" comments
after Sigmaa Nu's initial suspension.
Eckstein said his intent wasn't
to chastise IFC, though he said he
understands his comments were
interpreted in that manner. He said
he wanted to make the chapter pres-
idents aware that he felt the sespea-
sion was inappropriate.
Brad Beacham,executive director
of Sigma Nu's national headquarters,
said the national organizations is dit-
appointed with the IFC's decision to
expel the chapter frommembership,
but that it respects the I FC's role on
campus.
Beacham said the fraternity's
national organization believes it is
the local chapter's responsibility to
take disciplinary action in response
to individual members' misconduct,
as was the case with the Un iversity's
chapter of Sigma Nu. He said the
incident is not a reflection on the
chapter as a whole..
Eckstein said in an e-mail state-
ment that fraternity members will
remain at their current address at
7111 O~xfosrdfRd.
olloi igthe incident at the
sorority function, the local chap-
ter temporarily suspended the two
members involved, -followed by a
probationary period. Beacham said
the IFC was made aware of these'
internal actions.
According to Beacham, the FC
infornmed Sigma Nt lthat if the two
members were not permanentlt
expelleditwouild take actionagainst
the whole fraternity.
Eckstein said he feels it is not
within FC's jurisdiction to tell the
fraternity what to do with mem-
hers in situations like this.
"So we went through the pro-
cesses that we deemsed appropri-
ate and we told them that," lee said.
"I guess they just didn't agree with
ems."
Parritz wrote in an e-mail inter-
viewl ie informed Eckstein that if
the individual members weren't
expelled, the chapter presidents
would most likely vote to expel the
whole chapter.
Eckstein said Sigma Nu refused
to expel the members because the
fraternity felt submitting to IFC's
demands might set a precedent that
allowed FC "to regulate every single
member of every single fraternity."
"That's something that we
thought would be bad for Greek
Life," he said.
Barack wrote in an e-mail that
IFC doesn't typically get involved
with the internal affairs of chapters,
like dealing.with transgressions of
individual members.
Beacham said the national Sigma
Nu drganization supports the local
chapter's decision because of the
internal actions the chapter took.
He said the national headquarters
is disappointed with the IFCs deci-
sion to expel the chapter.
"I certainly do hope that after
timaepasses and the chapter contin-
ues so inmprove that IFC will wel-
come them back into membership,"
lee said.
Eckstein also said the chapter
wants to return to the IFC "however.
long it takes."
Parritz said Sigma Nu will remain
eligible to return to casspus under
the general IFC expansion pro-
cedures. The council can vote to
reopen the expansion calendar at
any time to vote to allow Sigma Nu
back into the IFC.
"We hope, though, that Sigma NeU
makes a swift and thorough transi-
tion to become the excellent chapter
it was in years past," Parritz wrote.
He said the IFC chapter presi-
dents did all they could to collabo-
rate with Sigma Nu as their chapter
"navigated through a challenging
reorganization."
"Expulsion was and always has
been a last resort," Parritz wrote. "It
pains me to see a chapter that once
flourished be forced to leave the IFC
comnmunity."
Business junior James Hazan, a
member of the fraternity, wrote in
an e-nail interview that despite its
expulsion from the IFC, the frater-
nity is still "very much alive."
He said Sigma Nu is involved in
the comesunity with projects like
Habitat for Humanity and Packages
for Patriots.
Hazan added that the fraternity is
also still engaged socially.
"We're actually pretty relieved to
be off-casspus so we don't have to
follow all of those silly IFC rules,"
he wrote. "Come down to Oxford
and Hill some time, we'll be the ones
eliciting noise cosmplaints fromthe
neighboring IFC-regulated Greek
anuses."
Sigm" Nu'snationalheadquarters
is guidingthe chapter to take action
to improve the fraternity, like edu-
cation programs, leadership con-
ferences and community s4rv ice,
according to Eckstein.
Eckstein said despite issues in
the fraternity's past, the chlapter
is "trying to be in good standing
with everyone."
"We're just going to take what-
ever is given tous and do our best to
move forward," lie said.
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