Societies, VP to meet; Sharpton to visit Union

By Robert Gold

Daily Staff Reporter

Interim Vice President for Student Affairs E. Royster Harper said she hopes to meet with members of the Tower societies and the Students of Color Coalition today - just one day before Reverend Al Sharpton is scheduled to arrive on campus to show his support for the SCC's occupation of the seventh floor of the Michigan Union.

Members of Michigamua, Vulcans, and Phoenix - the three societies that use the Union tower for meeting space confirmed their plans to meet Harper. SCC spokeman Joe Reilly said the group is considering the offer.

"Wednesday night, I forwarded to all the groups a proposal of what the dialogue would look like," Harper said. Harper declined to discuss the content of her proposal.

After receiving feedback from the groups, Harper said she invited them to come to a meeting with their own proposed strategies for solutions. "The whole point is to get people moving."

Michigamua spokesman Nick Delgado, an LSA senior, said Harper's note was a positive step towards a solution.

"Michigamua is impressed with the administration making proactive moves," Delgado said.

Reilly said the coalition received a copy of Harper's plan and is "taking it under consideration."

Yesterday, Michigamua members sent Harper a list of recommendations for future utilization of the Union's seventh floor. The group also distributed its suggestions at yesterday's University Board of Regent's meeting.

Michigamua's proposal requests that members of SCC end its occupation of the seventh floor. It also asks for a dialogue to occur between members of the Native American community and members of Michigamua, as well as a complete restructuring of Michigamua's meeting space "so it has no resemblance to any offensive structure."

Harper said she had no comment about Michigamua's proposal.

Second-year engineering graduate student Binh Tram, a member of Vulcans, confirmed that the group will meet with Harper tomorrow.

Engineering senior Jon Malkovich, a member of both Vulcans and Phoenix, said representatives from Phoenix will also attend.

"We did receive Royster's proposal and are currently evaluating it and probably will have suggestions," Malkovich said.

While Harper attempts to initiate dialogue, Rev. Al Sharpton is expected to voice his support for the SCC in a visit to campus this weekend.

Sharpton was "called to be a supporting outside force," SCC press and government liaison Farah Mongeau said. "He is not a negotiator."

Sharpton, a civil rights activist from the National Action Network, is scheduled to speak to the public at 7:30 p.m. in the Anderson Room of the Union, Mongeau said, adding that Sharpton is expected to speak to SCC members before his public talk.

"A lot of people on campus are criticizing us, but if the administration was doing their job, we would not have to be bringing in anybody," she said.

Delgado said his group does not object to Sharpton's visit.

"The reverend is going to bring some national coverage," Delgado said. "If the reverend can bring some closure to this, we look forward (to his visit). We think the reverend can put some fire into this," he said.

Harper said yesterday that no one has contacted her about Sharpton's visit.

Harper said that the decision about the SCC's occupation of the seventh floor of the Union and the future of Michigamua must be made by the SCC, the three tower societies, administrators and the community - not an outside influence. "I don't believe external forces can fundamentally change internal work," Harper said.

Reilly said SCC is not relying on Sharpton's visit to spark change. "I think the solution has to come from the actions of the University," he said. "We're hoping he can add some broader insight."