Group occupies Tower offices, wants meeting

By Robert Gold and Tiffany Maggard

Daily Staff Reporters

Students in the Michigan Union were startled last night as the walls of the building shook to the beat of a Native American treetown drum and chanting.

The noise resonated for the Union's steps where more than 30 students and community members gathered to show their support for Sunday's invasion of the the top three floors of the Union by the Students of Color Coalition.The seventh floor of the Union's tower is home to Michigamua, a University secret society, which protesters claim exploits the Native American culture.

MARJORIE MARSHALL/Daily This book is among many items found in the Michigamua facilities in the Michigan Union Tower. Sunday, members of the Students Color Coalition raided the Union's tower and continues to occupy it.

Rackham student Andrew Adams said he and fellow supporters hoped passerbys would make a connection between their actions and the coalition protest. "They need to kick Michagamua out and all other secret societies," Adams said. "The University wonders why it can't recruit Native American students."

Meanwhile, coalition members invited groups of 30 students at a time up into the tower for tours of the room where Michigamua holds its weekly meetings.

Coalition members camped out in the Michigamua room since early Sunday morning to protest Michigamua, saying that the University subsidizes the secret society.

SNRE senior Joe Reilly declined to say how the coalition gained access to the tower. The group currently occupies Michigamua's room exclusively; the rooms of the other two societies in the tower remain locked.

Students who toured Michigamua's room were shown Native American artifacts the coalition found during their occupation.

LSA junior Brian Babb said some of the Native American artifacts have a "tremendous amount of spiritual and religious significance."

Babb added that Michigamua's inappropriate use of the objects is "analogous to the desecration of communion for Catholics."

Rackham student Deigo Bernal said the University is well aware of Michigamua's association with the objects, noting that interim University Vice President of Student Affairs E. Royster Harper has had meetings with Michigamua in the room baring the artifacts.

Bernal said he and the rest of the coalition is angered by the fact the University allows Michigamua to exploit the Native American community.

"This is a public institution. These people have access to a place in this community that no one else does," he said.

Reilly said three Michagamua members came to speak with the protestors Sunday but "we said we're through talking and it's time for them to leave."

Michigamua member Joe Delgado said the coalition is degrading the society's integrity by supplying the University with incorrect evidence of its activity.

"They're supplying the University with false information. We want the University to know the facts. We still stick to our proposal of honest and open dialogue. To resolve this, we need dialog.

"We have the same goals - they need progress and we need progress," Delgado said.

Reilly said they have attempted to contact University President Lee Bollinger, Provost Nancy Cantor and Harper through phone calls and e-mail but have not received any direct responses.

Reilly said interim Dean of Students Frank Cianciola personally visited the group several times yesterday and Sunday. Reilly said the group is not satisfied with just dialogue because "we've talked to them for many years," and the society still exists.

He added that the eight coalition members will remain in the Michigamua's room until the three administrators visit them and comply with their demands.