6 6 - The Michigan Daily - Orientation Edition 2006 Alleged hate crime alerts students Regardless of the details of alleged incident, campus leaders say the event reflects a larger climate problem on campus .Sept. 26, 2005 By Rachel Kruer Daily Staff Reporter While the alleged felony of ethnic intimidation that involved a University student urinating on two Asian students continues to enrage student organizations on campus, the suspects and their neighbors say the Ann Arbor Police Department and the media have exag- gerated the incident. The AAPD reported that along with urinating on an Asian man and woman passing by his apartment on Sept. 15, the 20-year-old male suspect and his roommate threw objects and screamed racial slurs at the couple. University President Mary Sue Coleman condemned the incident to the entire student body last Thursday via e-mail after faculty members urged the administration to take action. But neighbors of the accused student are insisting that no one was urinated on, no racial slurs were used and no objects were thrown at the alleged victims. "It seems that everyone - the police, the administration and the student body - has determined we are guilty without having heard the facts. Now we have to prove our innocence after being falsely accused of this event," the 20-year-old suspect said. Both of the accused agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity due to potential acts of violence that other stu- dents might commit against them. The Michigan Daily was unable to contact the alleged victims, whose names have not been released by AAPD. University administrators and other cam- pus leaders were unwilling to share the information. Stephanie Kao, a Business senior and co-chair of the United Asian American Organizations, said that whether the incident is true or not is beside the point - it highlights the negative campus cli- mate toward Asians students. "A lot of us are angry about these racial slurs - we're so focused on this issue of urination and beer. It's beyond this issue at this point. This incident might have been the catalyst, but we are trying to address why these incidents are possible and what in this Uni- versity climate makes it possible and acceptable for racial harassment to happen,' Kao said. She added that since the alleged crime was publi- cized, UAAO has received numerous messages from Asian students who said they were victims of racial harassment on campus before. The student suspected of urinating on the couple said the night started off in typical fashion with only him and his roommate hanging out on the balcony playing beer pong. While an Asian couple walked by, his roommate tossed a beer absentmindedly over the side of the balcony. The roommate insisted that it was a coincidence that he threw the beer while the couple was walk- ing by, but he said it was at least seven or eight feet away from them. Regardless of the outcome of the alleged felony, many student organizations across campus are plan- ning events to end racial prejudice on the campus. The Michigan StudentAssembly has also prepared a resolution that would allocate MSA funds and plan events to educate students on hate crimes. American Culture Prof. Amy Stillman was one of several faculty members of the Asian Pacific- Islander American Studies program that sent a letter to University administrators on Thursday urging them to take measures to stop racial harass- ment on campus. Although there have been efforts in past years to educate administrators on (Asian Ameri- can) community needs, it is widely perceived that these efforts have been met repeatedly by administrative indifference," Stillman said. Campus response Asian student groups found APIA Change, a group organized to devise ways to improve the campus climate. Following the alleged incident, APIA Change began cataloguing incidents of racial harassment toward Asian and Pacific Islander Americans. NAACP pushes for the Department of Public Saftey to revise its crime alert and event surveillance policies. Expect Respect Campaign, a joint project between students and adminis- trators to centralize anti-hate resources. President Mary Sue Coleman condems the incident and calls for clearer guidelines for complaints. 'U' launches bias and hate crime hotline through Office of Institutional Inequity, which also provides response training. 6 60 'U' suspends contracts After the company misses charges of human rights violations. The company deadlines for investigation, does not want the results of the investigation to be ,'s pedused against it in the suit. the Uspurchasing In response to the University's decision, Coke released a statement saying it is "exploring other Jan. 5, 2006 ways that we might be able to conduct an addi- By Jeremy Davidson tional credible, objective and impartial indepen- and Karl Stampfl dent third-party assessment in Colombia without Daily Staff Reporters incurring legal risks." Coca-Cola spokeswoman Kari Bjorhus said the After ten months of conflict, the University company is exploring several options for conduct- decided Dec. 29 to suspend purchasing of Coca- ing an assessment, but she could not say whether it Cola products following the company's failure to would be able to meet the Mar. 31 deadline. meet a deadline set by the University's Dispute The DRB recommended in June that Coke Review Board. adhere to a list of five deadlines spaced out over The DRB, a committee in charge of review- the 2005-2006 academic year. ing complaints against the Vendor Code of The Coalition to Cut the Contract with Coca- Conduct, had asked Coke to choose an inde- Cola, a group of student organizations that has pendent investigator to look into alleged led the effort to have the University cut its con- human rights violations in Asia and South tracts with Coke, applauded the University's America by Dec. 31. decision in a written statement last week. In a letter dated Dec. 16, Coke said it would But the group said it is concerned that the Uni- miss that deadline, due to what the company called versity still maintains Coke is acting in "good "legal risks" stemming from a current Florida law- faith" despite allegations of environmental and suit in which the company is defending itself from human rights violations. Coke returns to campus S'U' resumes purchasing after company agrees to third party audit, upsetting activists Apr. 12, 2006 By Jeremy Davidson Daily Staff Reporter The University resumed purchasing Coca- Cola products yesterday about four months after it suspended its contracts with Coke because the company wouldn't agree to an audit of its alleged human rights violations. Coke products will be back in vending machines on campus within a few days. The company has proposed two independent investigations into its labor practices in India and Colombia. The University accepted them, drawing both ire and praise from students. The University received a letter from Coca- Cola on Monday that said the company is working with two organizations to conduct inde- pendent investigations, one to assess its practices in Colombia and the other in India. Since suspending purchasing of Coca-Cola in December, the University has been working with the company to find a mutually acceptable third-party auditor. The International Labor Organization, a branch of the United Nations that upholds internation- ally recognized human and labor rights, agreed on Mar.24 to conduct an independent investigation of the company in Colombia. "We are committed to full cooperation," Donald Knauss, president of Coca-Cola North America, wrote in a letter to the University. The details oftheinvestigation have not been final- ized, but will be determined in the next few weeks. The decision to bring Coke back to campus has outraged members of the Coalition to Cut Contracts with Coca-Cola, a network of student groups. "Coca-Cola has done nothing to comply with the University's lauded code of conduct and has made no effort to rectify any of the allegations against it. I have lostallfaithinthisUniversity,"saidRCjuniorJuliaRis, a former member of the Dispute Review Board, the board responsible for advising the University's Chief Financial Officer Timothy Slottow on alleged viola- tions of the University's Vendor Code of Conduct. I I I I Need 1informa tion? Veah, we've got that. Campus Information Centers Michigan Union Pierpont Commons 764-INFO www.umich.edu/info Introductory Environment Courses for first-year students Environ 110:11Introduction to Global Change 1 (NS)(BS) Environ 139: Environment, Sustainability and Social Change (FYS) Environ 201: Ecological Issues (NS)(8S) Environ 270: Our Common Future (Exci.) PROGRAM IN THE ENVIRONMENT http://environment.Isa.umich.edu/environ/ 16 6