Posted: March 30th, 2004 | Author: Rob | Filed under: Uncategorized | Comments Off
The Daily reports today about a couple new auction websites targeting U-M students: theDiag.com and UMToday.com. UMToday seems more ambitious, even including a U-M specific “hot or not” feature.
“… University alum Zach Price started the auction website TheDiag.com this week, in response to demand for a venue to advertise products for students that were not being auctioned elsewhere. …
LSA junior Johnny Glase said his friend Scott Palko, a University of Notre Dame alum, started a website at Notre Dame that was very successful and planned to bring a similar one to the University.
Glase said he took up Palko’s offer, and the website UMtoday.com, which was started in December 2003, now has a couple hundred users. One of the site’s features is an online marketplace, where students can bid on furniture, books and electronics. Glase said he is now actively publicizing the website, which is 100 users short of attracting advertising contracts. … “
> Daily : “Students start up online auction sites”
Posted: March 30th, 2004 | Author: Rob | Filed under: Uncategorized | Comments Off
The logo of the Jamaican Jerk Pit, a new restaurant located at 314 South Thayer (across from Hill Auditorium) has been drawing some attention by those who think the cartoon in its logo too closely resembles the racist “Mammy” stereotype from Blackface Minstrel Shows, popular in the United States in the middle of the 19th century. (See also this historical website for more information) Here’s one email sent by a U-M faculty member to the contact email address on the restaurant’s website (pickup at jerkpit.com):
“Although I have heard your food is tasty, your sign and web logos are completely tasteless and border on racist. The people are reminiscent of mammies, just updated with dreads. Please consider changing your signs and website design. I find both completely offensive and inexcusable.”
Posted: March 30th, 2004 | Author: Rob | Filed under: Uncategorized | Comments Off
In a tense negotiating session at Trotter House yesterday, student activists seem to have be taken seriously by administrators in their demands for increased funding of student services, which experienced deep cuts this year. Although the administration didn’t make any concessions or agree to any of the activist’s demands, I think the students are well positioned to win at least some of their objectives.
“Coleman started the meeting, expressing her desire to work together with students to find solutions.
“Here’s what I want to do: Figure out ways to have more productive dialogues. We need to accelerate some decisions that are taking too long … You deserve that — the entire University deserves that,” Coleman said.
As Coleman began to address the University’s budget problems, LSA senior Jackie Bray, an SVA member, cut her off and moved forward with SVA’s 10 demands regarding undergraduate services.
RC senior Erik Glenn voiced SVA’s request that the University retain an Education Affairs Coordinator in the Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Affairs on a permanent and full-time basis. The LGBT Affairs office recently announced the position will be terminated at the beginning of the next fiscal year. SVA also requested that gender identity be added to the University’s nondiscrimination policy.
… Harper agreed to rehire a Latino coordinator to replace the previous coordinator who left last semester.
“The Latino position will be posted within two weeks, and we’re going to act more aggressively to fill this position. It has always been a permanent, full-time position,” Harper said. …
> Daily: “Administrators address cuts to student services”
> See also this story from yesterday: “Budget troubles burden celebration” Here’s excerpts:
“… But budget cuts have undermined this year’s Pow Wow, most notably by reducing its usual three-day span to two. The University has cut the budget of the Division of Student Affairs, the event’s main sponsor, by 4 percent this year.
The Pow Wow has lost an estimated 25 percent of its University funding this year, coordinator Steven Abbott said. Administration officials could not be reached for specific budget figures.
The decrease in revenue has corresponded with continual increases in costs, including renting the Crisler Arena, hiring Department of Public Safety officers and covering maintenance fees.
“I feel that the upper administration has not taken student services like Pow Wow, the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center and the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs seriously and hasn’t given them priority. They boast about diversity and boast about supporting diversity, but these budget cuts don’t reflect that,” said LSA senior Nickole Fox, who is a co-chair of NASA.
Many other students are “frustrated and angry,” as Fox said, and cuts and changes to student services have led to the formation of the group Student Voices in Action, which lobbies the administration for change.” …
> See the Daily’s photo of University President Mary Sue Coleman, Vice President for Student Affairs E. Royster Harper, University Provost Paul Courant and Dean of Students Ed Willis speaking to students yesterday
Also of note:
> “Alleged rape under investigation”
Posted: March 30th, 2004 | Author: Rob | Filed under: Uncategorized | Comments Off
Michigamua “Pride” of 1999:
Andrew D. Berenzweig
Andrew R. Potts
Bobby L. Scales II
Christopher W. Bunt
Cory J. Fryling
Delano M. White
Don M. Chamberlin IV
Dwane Q. Fuqua
Erik W. Ranka
Evan M. Meyers
Frank J. Lodeserto
Gerald B. Olivari
Gregory R. Daddario
Jeffrey Smokevitch
Jonathan W. Jansen
Joseph C. Taylor
Manuel F. Munguia
Michael C. Fair
Pinkey L. Oliver
Rahul M. Shah
Robert D. Hayes
Ryan D. Freidrichs
Spencer F. Preis
Thomas A. Malchow
Posted: March 30th, 2004 | Author: Rob | Filed under: Uncategorized | Comments Off
Although Froogle, Google’s new product search engine might think I’m selling LSA Senior Jackie Bray on my website, they are in fact mistaken. ($1.70 seems entirely too low … ) She did, however, contribute to a book which was recently issued by Indyvoter.org called “How to Get Stupid White Men Out of Office: The Anti-Politics, Un-Boring Guide to Power” The book includes one chapter called “Students vs. Court of Public Opinion” co-wrote by Jackie Bray, Monique Luse, and Michelle Lin. (Luse and Lin graduated last year.) Their chapter is about their involvement with Student Supporting Affirmative Action helping plan the busses to DC last year, among other things.
If you’d like a copy, the organization which published it is giving away free copies to people who throw book parties the weekend of April 17-18 – just fill out a quick application on their website. They’ve even posted a bio of Ms. Bray. To order a copy, Powell’s is offering it for $13.
Posted: March 30th, 2004 | Author: Rob | Filed under: Uncategorized | Comments Off
Just another day in our fine city:
“Gunman robs store on Washtenaw Ave.
A gunman dressed in black with a bandana pulled over his face robbed a clerk at gunpoint at an Ypsilanti Township party store Sunday evening, the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department reported.
The 42-year-old clerk said the robber entered the Huckleberry Party Store in the 2800 block of Washtenaw Avenue at about 8:45 p.m. Sunday, Sheriff’s Cmdr. Dave Egeler said. He said the robber pulled out a handgun and ordered the clerk to open the cash register or he would shoot, Egeler said.
The clerk said he opened the register, and the robber grabbed $250 to $300, then told him to get on the floor, Egeler said. The clerk waited until the robber was gone before he got up and called 911, Egeler said.
Woman reports rape, weighs prosecution
A 22-year-old Ann Arbor woman said she was raped by a man she met at a party Friday night after he took her back to his fraternity house, city police said.
The woman said she couldn’t find her friend when it was time to leave the party, so a man she met there offered her a ride, reports said. She said he took her back to his fraternity and eventually forced himself on her, reports said.
The woman then returned home and told friends, who persuaded her to go to police, reports said. She said she was unsure whether she wanted to prosecute.
KKK fliers placed in north-side mailboxes
Fliers from the Mystic Knights of the KKK were found in several mailboxes of homes on Ann Arbor’s north side Sunday, city police reported.
The fliers appeared in mailboxes along Placid Way and included references to affirmative action and programs sponsored by McDonald’s to support minorities, reports said. Officers did not find anyone distributing the fliers in the area, reports said.
The material itself is not illegal because it is protected by the First Amendment, but placing unauthorized items in mailboxes is a violation under federal law, police officials said. [...]
U-M student struck by BB on Oakland
A 21-year-old University of Michigan student said he was struck by a BB fired off by one of his neighbors early Saturday, Ann Arbor Police said.
The student and several friends were standing near their home in the 1000 block of Oakland Avenue when they said BBs were fired, reports said. They said the BBs were fired from the roof of the home across the street, reports said.
Officers questioned the two men in the home across from the victim, and they denied shooting BBs, reports said. Police arrested a man at the scene for disorderly conduct when he became belligerent and confrontational, reports said. The incident remains under investigation. … (AANews Police Beat)
Can’t forget break-ins:
“1000 block of South Main Street, 11 a.m. Saturday. Window broken to gain entry; $3,000 cash, financial documents, photographs and a revolver taken.
900 block of Greenwood Avenue, 2:45 a.m. Sunday. No signs of forced entry; laptop computer valued at $3,700 taken.”
Posted: March 29th, 2004 | Author: Rob | Filed under: Uncategorized | Comments Off
A member of the radical environmental organization the Earth Liberation Front has pled guilty to charges he caused $2.5 million in damages after participating in the fire bombing of new SUVs in Los Angeles, and faces a prison sentence of 25 years to life:
> AP: “Student pleads innocent in SUV vandalism, firebombing spree in Southern California”
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