The Michigan Daily - Monday, May 1, 2000 - 3

C ommittee gives
recommendations

By Lisa Koivu
Daily News Editor
On April I1, the Panel on Space
Allocation for Student Organizations
and, University Involvement with
Student Organizations presented its
recommendations to University
President Lee Bollinger on how office
space for student groups on campus
should be allotted.
The committee, comprised of psy-
chology Prof. Patricia Guin, Rackham
Dean Earl Lewis and law Prof.
Christina Whitman, was put together in
March by Interim Vice President for
Student Affairs E. Royster Harper. The
group was charged with creating a plan
for how reviews and allotment of stu-
dent organization office space should
occur.
Currently, the more than 900 student
groups registered with the Michigan
Student Assembly are entitled to apply
for office space in the Pierpont
* Commons, The Michigan League, The
Michigan Union and the William
Monroe Trotter House.
According to the recommendations
issued by the committee, all organiza-
tions are currently "evaluated on the
quantity and quality of activity and not
on the organization's point of view.
Generally contracts are short term, may
be subject to periodic review and could
result in revocation of space if the con-
tract agreement is not upheld."
Some organizations hold offices
which do not have to be reviewed
each year. This includes MSA cham-
bers, The University Activities
Center and the Residence Halls
Association. These organizations,
according to the recommendations,
currently function like "University
departments."
To achieve this status, these organi-
zations must have been given depart-
mental status by the University Board
of Regents, directly received student
fees or departmental funds to-operate,
be an elected governing body, provide a
vehicle for students' voices through
media or have specific responsibilities
that correspond to the needs of the cam-
pus, to achieve the status at the
University.
But two different groups that fall out-
side of these boundaries - the Tower
Societies and Gilbert and Sullivan -
have the rights to privileged space.
In February, the Students of Color
Coalition seized the chambers of
Michigamua, one of three senior soci-
eties housed in the tower of the
Michigan Union. The SCC protested
the use of Native American artifacts in
the chambers, as well as the privileged
space given to an organization in a
University building.
"We wanted to bring to light the
*reality of the University - that it pro-
claims diversity, but supports groups
that work against diversity," SCC
spokesman and SNRE senior Joe
Reilly said.

The recommendations by the panel
include nine different points the panel
would like to see contemplated when
issuing office space to student groups.
The first point on the list recommends
that "no student organization be grant-
ed a permanent or indefinite right to
occupy space owned by the University
of Michigan. The space of all student
organizations should be subject to a
periodic assignment process, review,
and potential reallocation."
The committee also recommended
that organizations like MSA and RHA,
who currently are entitled to privileged
space, come up for review every five
years.
All groups vying for office space
should be registered with MSA, and the
space these organizations occupy
should come under review every two
years, including the space in the
Union's tower.
Nick Delgado, LSA senior and
Michigamua spokesman said he had
anticipated the content of the recom-
mendations.
"I knew this would be a political
process. The administration put (the
committee) in a position to be receptive
to public opinion," Delgado said.
"However, this is not the final deci-
sion. The University will do what is
best and we fully support the adminis-
tration's decisions," he added.
Delgado said that even if
Michigamua were granted rights to the
space on the seventh floor of the tower,
they will not be moving back to the
Union next year.
"This is less about Michigamua now
and more about activists wanting to be
in the spotlight," Delgado said.
But Reilly said he thought the rec-
ommendations were fair.
"The committee started to look at the
issues of racist images and thoughts
prevalent to all organizations. Right
now they are just recommendations but
they are very encouraging," Reilly said.
Reilly said he wasn't sure whether
the administration would follow the
committee's recommendations.
"I don't have much faith in Bollinger
as a fair leader on campus.
He has shown quite a bit of
favoritism, but I hope he goes along
with it'" Reillsy said.
"I'd like to see the University take a
clear hard stance in denouncing
Michigamua and the ideals it supports,"
he added.
In a press release, Harper said the
administration will seriously consider
all of the recommendations.
"As we look towards making deci-
sions based on these recommenda-
tions, we sant to be as serious,
thoIghtfal and respectful in our con-
sideration of the recommendations as
the panel me'mbers obviously have.
been in naking 'them," Harper said.
The cotmmittec will release its rec-
ommendations for how it believes
the University should interact with
student organizations on October 2.

BRADQUINN/Daly
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Halberstam addresses the Class of 2000 at Spring Commencement exercises Saturday
morning at Michigan Stadium. Halberstam saluted the University as a prime example of diversity.

GRADUATION
Continued from Page 1
inauthentic?"
In her opening remarks on behalf
of the students, Jamie Lynne Katz, a
graduating LSA student, stressed the
need to appreciate education while
realizing the personal growth an edu-
cation can entail.
Katz gave a recollection of pivotal
events she experienced that enriched
her years at the University.
"Few places could have held a mir-
ror so close to my face than (the
University)," she said adding that the
experiences "can constantly change
me from day to day"
While Katz stressed the impact
that a single moment can have on the
life of a student, Bollinger expressed
the need to appreciate the present
through an awareness the past.
Bollinger then explored the impact
that students graduating today will
have on the world, reflecting on the
evolution of the University since its
founding in 1841.
"Consider your predecessors from
a half a century ago," Bollinger said
as he noted the term of former
University President James Angell,
who Bollinger said brought many
new and unique philosophies to the
fuinctioning of the University.
Bollinger said at the titne of
Angell's presidency, students were
not graded, but received pass/fail
credit because Angell believed
grades "led to improper motivation

among students." sonally beneficial jobs, the president
In a projection of the what he will continue to warn against differ-
believes the University will be like ent societal dangers, and student
100 years from now, Bollinger told expenses will be just over one mil-
the graduates that "everyone will lion dollars for residents and over
graduate with high-paying and per- 300 million for non-residents."
Degreesof edom

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