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0 tt e hundred twele years of editorial freedom

Summer Weekly
www.michigandaily.com

Monday
June 16, 2003

ming BL

NEWS Upco
ruhn
The Daily exam- im n (
ines the way in
which the Mich -
gan Student I U S M 4
Assembly allo-
cates funding to
student groups. By Tomilslavlaka
Page 3 Daily StaffReporter

'ming B L
s to
esses

idget constraints close woodsbop
Left:
Student Woodshop
.' Manager Kurt Vosburgh
(left) leads a discussion
about the closing of the
Student Woodshop Friday
3 . gwith students, faculty
and staff, while retired
faculty member Bernard
Van't Hul (right) inspects
a piece of wood
for a project.
(SETH LOWER/Daily)
Below
Rackham student
Naomi Feldman
r * 'tisands a wooden bowl
on a Layth machine
yesterday at the
Student Woodshop.
(ASHLEY HARPER/Daily)

OP/ED
Columnist Jason
Pesick compares
distinctly Ameri-
can literary char-
acters after the
passing of Grego-
ry Peck.
Page 5
ARTIR

vetroit's own
St. Andrews Hall
provides an inti-
mate setting for
rock legend
extraordinaire
Lou Reed.
Page 9

Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights
Act prohibits private businesses from
discriminating on the basis of race,
but many corporations view diversity
as a compelling interest for a more
cohesive work environment. The
Supreme Court decision in the Uni-
versity's lawsuits could have a signif-
icant, albeit indirect, impact on these
companies, thus sparking much
debate and support from multi-
national corporations such a
Microsoft, IBM and General Motors.
While Michigan State University
Law Prof. Frank Ravitch explains
that only state actors would be affect-
ed and private businesses would have
no direct impact, companies say they
believe the Court's decisions could
affect their hiring practices.
"If these programs are found uncon-
stitutional, it's possible minority enroll-
ment will go down," Ravitch said. "If
there are fewer minority students (at the
University), that also declines the pool
businesses try to recruit from."
Similarly, University administrators
claim a Court decision to annul the
University's admissions policies would
drastically decrease minority enroll-
ment, and that all students need a
diverse academic environment.
A joint amicus brief filed in support
of the University's policies by over 60
corporations echoes these claims, stat-
ing that in the companies' experience
"the need for diversity in higher educa-
tion is indeed compelling."
But many opponents of the Universi-
ty's admissions policies have chal-
lenged the claim that minority
enrollment will decrease as much as the

By Maria Sprow
Daily Staff Reporter
It was 3:30 p.m. Friday afternoon, and
things were looking pretty bleak from
where Phil Dinehart stood in the middle of
the Student Woodshop.
Two days earlier, Dinehart, a part-time
employee for the woodshop, had received ver-
bal notification that his job no longer existed,
and that the woodshop was closed - a victim
of budget reductions made by University
Unions, which had to cut $700,000 from the
2004 fiscal budget starting July 1.
In a letter sent to employees in the Divi-
sion of Student Affairs, University Unions
Director Loren Rullman said the main
reason the woodshop was closed is
because the percentage of student users is
lower than that of other groups.
"The decision to eliminate these areas was
arrived at carefully by keeping in mind the pri-
mary focus of the Division of Student Affairs
- services, facilities and programs for stu-
dents. In recent years the percentage of student
users of (Student Woodshop) offerings ... has
been less than the percentage who are non-stu-
dents." Rullman stated in the letter. "These

decisions were only made after cutting over
one-half million dollars in general operating
areas, and no more could be cut without sig-
nificant impact on core mission-critical areas."
Open for 30 years and located in the Stu-
dent Activities Building, many students, facul-
ty and staff have invested thousands of dollars
in creative endeavors made possible by the
woodshop's existence. On Friday, many proj-
ects - from $1,700 canoes and kayaks to
bookshelves and tabletops - were left unfin-
ished, with their owners not knowing how or
when they'd be able to complete them.
At the time, it appeared to Dinehart and
the woodshop's users that the closing was
effective immediately, with no transition
period to finish projects.
But Rullman said while new undertak-
ings cannot be started, measures have been
taken so the woodshop can remain open
through the summer for students who have
already begun projects.
"We did not close the woodshop immedi-
ately. What we did say is that we are closing
the woodshop, but there is a period of time in
which that woodshop will be open so that stu-
dents can work on their projects," he said.
"The period of time that we'll be open will be

weboer nan
obstruction of
justice charges
dropped, but still
face four counts
of perjury,
Page 11
ONLINE
A recent shoot-
ing on North
Campus leaves
a man injured,
with the sus-
pects still on
the loose.
CONTACTS
NEWS: 76-DAILY
CLASSIFIED:
764-0557

subject to a discussion between the director of
the union and the woodshop manager. We
have, however, funded the operation beyond
July 1, into the next fiscal year"
Woodshop Manager Kurt Vosburgh, who
will work the next three months on severance
u See WOODSHOP. Page 3

See BUSINESSES, Page 8 L
'U' alcohol, drug violations up, survey says
By Sarah Reaume fashionable now."
For the Daily Since the size of residential hall populations are one I see that there's a lot more drug
of the major contributing factors to the high reporting use it's more fashionable now.'
With drug and alcohol violations increasing nation- of drug and alcohol violations, incoming students ' - Lauren Larson
ally, the University has followed suit with over twice remain the foci of many University substance abuse LSA freshman
the national average in reported drug violations. prevention programs.
According to numbers released for the year 2001 by Beginning with summer orientation, this year's new
the Chronicle of Higher Education, the University's students will receive written information and watch a ming for substance abuse education.
alcohol violations increased by three percent while performance by student theatre group Res Rep focus- But "there's no mandatory alcohol education for stu-
drug violations have escalated by 14 percent. ing on the dangers of substance abuse and what to do dents at U of M unless they're busted," Benz said.
"(Drugs don't) seem as popular as alcohol, so it's a in an emergency, said Ann Hower, the director of the The increase in drug and alcohol use can sometimes
surprise," LSA freshman Megan Melcher said. Office of New Student Programming. be predicted from surveys of graduating high school
On the other hand, LSA freshman Lauren Larson During the school year Marsha Benz, the Alcohol students, said Patrice Flax, coordinator of the Alcohol
said, "I see that there's a lot more drug use, it's more and Other Drug Education coordinator, runs program- See DRUGS, Page 8

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