I1- 4 17 11 W M
YEWS: 76-DAILY
1LASSIFIED: 764-0557
vww.michigandaily.com
--. --.
IsXMN national
'leaders convene
By Maia Sprow
Daily News Editor
It wasn't the shouts for equality and desegregation that attracted atten-
tion to the rally for affirmative action Friday, but the music of Destiny's
Child's "Survivor" coming from the Cass Technical High School March-
ing Band that stopped traffic on the Diag and lead the march toward Rack-
ham Auditorium.
The rally and march, attended by several hundred high school and col-
lege students, were part of the weekend's civil rights and affirmative action
conference, hosted by the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action and
Integration and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary.
The rally and march were delayed an hour and a half to allow visiting
students time to consider various petitions discussed earlier that morning.
Wayne State Law School student Shanta Driver, who mediated the con-
ference, said it was designed to bring together leaders from across the
country and "pull together a national leadership for the new movement."
Speculation that the Rev. Jesse Jackson would come and speak on the
O Diag ended during the rally when Gary Flowers, a spokesman for the
Rainbow/PUSH coalition, announced Jackson was sick and unable to
attend. Jackson instead made a call to the conference Saturday afternoon.
Flowers offered some words of advice during the rally. "Each generation
must define for itself the critical issues of the day."
"Nothing lasts forever," he added, commenting on the University of Cal-
ifornia Board of Regents' May 16 decision to reverse their ban on afftrma-
tive action.
Student activist leaders from around the country spoke, including Har-
vard student Stephen Smith, one of the organizers of a recent 21-day sit-in
for workers' rights. Ronald Cruz, an openly gay Asian student from the
University of California at Berkeley, and Hoku Jeffrey, a founding member
}of BAMN's chapter at Berkeley, also spoke.
On Saturday, students reported about recent events on their campuses.
One hundred ten years ofeditorilfreedom June 4, 2001
\ By Eflzabeth Kassab
Daisy Nesws F.dtor
A host of organiattons representing a variety of public
ad pnivate usstttuttous filed brnefs last week in support of
the Utuversity Law School's defense of its race-conscious
admsssons plicies.
More than 80 groups -- mncludig the General Motors
Cor. he A erican Br Asoci-
ation and the National Oraia-
Ion for Women (NOW) Legal ,,, MlS IONS
Defense Fund - filed individ- NN I A,
ual andJotnt amicus crae briefs
supporting e University. -mi-
aacut curie, o"friend of the
Cas Tehnial ighSchol heeleaersraly te cowdcourt" besaowtid partes
CasThenica Hi h ol s cheeaer s llythekcrodatg mchonAh Ivoice their input on bows case is relevant to them,
e Df"It shows the court that there is support in a varety of
"Whsen you tell a story, you learn from that," said Pennsylvania State sectors of society for the kind of policies we have;' said
University alsm Ryan Rzepecki. "We're all coming from different angles University Deputy General Counsel Liz Barry.
but it's all part of a collective story." The amnicus briefs present the court with different per-
Cruz and Jeffrey had encouraging words for the conference. spective on the impact of rsce-conscious admissions poll -
"We even got Ward Connerly to vote for the desise of his own propos- Ces in higher education and illustrate these policies have
al," said Cruz, referring to the University of California regent who lead the See BRIEFS, Page 2
campaign to ban affinaative action and two weeks ago joinaed the 21 other
regents in the unanimous vote to reverse the ban. Attacking the Regents' INs itE: TtE U.S. SUREME CouRT'. 1stON NT TO
decision to ban affinative action through petitioning and clasroom pre- Y ealo t hLd s
See BAMN, Page 7 AINS Itht UN rtVtstr p MlCHs t i PAG e 2.
Ford to preside over election reform
By Louie MeizIlh
Daily News FEditor
The subject and history of American elec-
tions will take center stage tomorrow at the
Gerald R. Ford Library on North Campus.
Former President Ford will preside dur-
ing the fourth and final public hearing of
the National Commission
on Federal Election
Reform. Ford and former
President Jimmy Carter
are honorary co-chair-
men of the commission.
Several local and nation-
authorities will testify
n the subject before the
commission, created in
the wake of the contested
presidential election in Florida
Offering "perspectives from Washington"
will be U.S. Reps. Bob Ney (R-Ohio), Steny
NEWS
JUST A FEW MILLION
The state Senate approves an increase
in University funding, amending a bill
from the House of Representatives.
Page 3
Hoyer (D-Md.), and John Conyers (D-
Detroit).
The congressmen are scheduled to dis-
cuss their legislation regarding election
reform. Conyers' bill focuses on stan-
dards for voting machines. Ney and
Hoyer, respectively the chairman and
ranking member on the Committee on
House Administration, are working to
craft a joint bill on voting machines and
federal funding for voter education and
poll worker training.
Christopher Thomas will speak during
the second panel, titled "Administrative
Perspectives." Secretary of State Candice
Miller, who oversees the elections
bureau, just released a report to the state
Legislature outlining a process of uni-
form statewide voting.
Communications Department Chair
Michael Traugott is also expected to testify
before the commission regarding media pro-
jections and voting.
The commission has taken testimony from
various election authorities on elections over
the past several months, including secretaries
of state, county registrars and clerks, politi-
cians and scholars.
The commission is mostly made up of
scholars and former politicians. It is chaired
by former House Minority Leader Robert
Michel (R-Ill.) and former Carter and Clinton
White House Counsel Lloyd Cutler. Some
other members are Stanford University Law
School Dean Kathleen Sullivan, former U.S.
Sen. Slade Gorton (R-Wash.), former Secre-
tary of Energy Bill Richardson, and Vander-
bilt University First Amendment Center
founder John Seigenthaler.
The hearing is open to the public and doors
will open at 1030 a.m. It will also be broad-
cast on the commission's web site, located at
swe rg s eorm'elctimns.org.
Bono and Edge blast the music of U2 at their concert on May 30
at the Palace of Auburn Hills. See story, page 10.
ARTS
" .-°'ROUGE' REV.EWED
Daily Arts reviews the new film Moulin
Rouge, starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan
McGregor.
Page 10 "_"_____
SPORTS
FLE~lNG ADRAFT
Several members of the Michigan
baseball team may be selected in the
Major League Baseball draft.
Page 14
LWI
,:y' *rz f' - : ' E','y ,+7 ~ r . ; , .,fl' ..,fir - ...; v m "fa ",77V' ' wyrT +'yTrz, ,k , . rti r ^c w ': '"py vn of
7 ,i 1 r^,:: )W; } Y.s; r; ., ; a. a .. ,_ w .. '" ' : 'Y' i ,w :. , a" .. ? .., .[ ,xL. a? .a . _.
- :.M ..