Marathon meeting leads to MSA resolution

By Robert Gold

and Lisa Koivu

Daily Staff Reporters

In a meeting that lasted nearly five and a half hours and packed more than 50 students - in addition to about 55 Michigan Student Assembly members - into MSA chambers last night, the assembly voted to pass a resolution in favor of delegating control of the Union tower to the University's Office Space Allocations Committee.

Erika Dowdell, Minority Affairs Commission co-chairwoman, surprised MSA, her co-chairwoman Erin Gilbert and the rest of MAC by announcing her intention to pursue legal action against Michigamua for not following through on the promise it made in 1989 to MAC to rid the seventh floor of the Union of all Native American artifacts.

MSA President Bram Elias said that whether the suit needs full MSA or MAC approval is unclear.

Miranda Massie, an attorney for Scheff and Washington in Detroit, said the firm will be filing a contract enforcement action later this week.

"Our main point is to support the students who are making a stand against racism and elitism," Massie said, adding that she was contacted by Dowdell on Monday.

"What they're standing for among other things, is legally supported," Massie said.

Gilbert said it is inaccurate to say the suit was brought forth by MAC because she said the committee were unaware of the lawsuit before today.

"It hasn't been a decision that has been assessed," Gilbert said.

Budget Priorities Committee Vice Chairman Siafa Hage said the issue of the SCC's takeover of the Union tower had to be discussed immediately, and couldn't wait a week as other assembly members suggested.

"This is getting bigger and more complex everyday, therefore the issue can not wait any longer," Hage said.

Hage also expressed his feelings that in order to make the hearing as equitable as possible, Elias - a member of Michigamua - should not chair the meeting.

MSA Vice President Andy Coulouris, who is next in line to chair the meeting, said he had complete confidence in Elias' ability to be fair.

"I am the one sponsoring the bill, and I know he will not be swayed as chair. He has every bit of my confidence," Coulouris said.

The assembly voted to allow Elias to chair the meeting.

During constituents' time SNRE senior and SCC spokesman Joe Reilly, spoke to the group, contending that Michigamua had violated every cultural and spiritual right he has as a Native American.

"The artifacts Michigamua possesses misrepresents us in a way I'm not comfortable with. The question here is what conditions allow this to happen at a public university," Reilly said.

"What makes one organization more private than another, that they can facilitate private use of a public building," Reilly asked. Jon Malkovich, an engineering senior and a member of the Vulcans and Phoenix societies - which are both housed in the Union tower - said some groups have a right to privileged space because they've done a lot for the University.

"Every person here is privileged to go to this University. Lawyers have the right to a special library and engineers have the privilege to an enhanced computer system. Therefore, these groups should be given a privilege to this space," Malkovich said.

Earlier in the evening, University President Lee Bollinger, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs E. Royster Harper, Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Lester Monts and Provost Nancy Cantor met with six members of the SCC for more than two hours in a closed meeting.

Harper said Michigamua was the primary focus of the meeting, but added that administrators addressed most of the issues on the SCC's 14-point petition.

"We tried to discuss the concerns," Harper said. "We mostly were talking about progress."

Bollinger said the meeting was beneficial to an ultimate solution, but he is unsure what step administrators will take next.

"We're not prepared for (a) mass meeting," Bollinger said. "I'm working on a few things."

SCC spokesman Diego Bernal said the meeting was the first between Bollinger and the SCC about the takeover of the Union's Tower.

"The only agreement the University made was to discuss the issues further," Bernal said.

At 12:15 a.m. the assembly passed the final resolution, which urges the administration to relinquish control of the fifth, sixth and seventh floors of the Union and allow OSAC to allocate the rooms to student groups, as they do now for the fourth floor.

MSA Vice President Andy Coulouris said he was ecstatic the resolution passed. "This ought to carry a great deal of weight with the administration. Our statement was clear and forceful."

Michigamua spokesman Nick Delgado said the proposal was "nothing more than an emotional gesture."

"It's evident the assembly is unable to make this (type) of decision," Delgado said. "This decision shouldn't be made from the heart. This decision needs dialogue."

SAM HOLLENSHEAD/Daily

Members of the Michigan Student Assembly and Students of Color Coalition listen during last night's MSA meeting.