Sides clash during forum on lawsuit

By Lisa Koivu

Daily Staff Reporter

During a discussion that could have been filled with anger and tension but remained relatively peaceful, vocal representatives from both sides of the affirmative action issue spoke to the University community last night in a forum focusing on the University's admission policies.

While few of the Vice President for Student Affairs' round table discussion group members were in attendance at the forum in Michigan Student Assembly chambers, members of the the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action By Any Means Necessary were present as Shanta Driver, an intervenor in the lawsuit and philosophy Prof. Carl Cohen gathered to air their opposing views on affirmative action.

"The affirmative action programs were created in 1965. They were created with the recognition there was vast social inequality in the country," Driver said. "To address these inequalities, this society developed the affirmative action programs."

While Cohen said he agreed that affirmative action has taken positive steps to eliminate discrimination, the key issue is whether any person should be discriminated against on the basis of race. "The University uses a system that is racially preferential, there is no doubt about that," Cohen said.

Cohen said no matter the outcome, with any of the trials, the suits will be appealed by whichever side loses. Cohen said while there is a very good chance the case could be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, there is a slim chance the court will accept the case.

LSA-Student Government President B.J. Orandi asked Driver whether it would be effective to use socio-economic affirmative action, instead of race based.

Driver said progress has been made using the current system, and also that income is independent of race. "There is overlap, certainly, but there is also the individual factor of racism," she said.

The group watched a segment about the University that aired on the television program "60 Minutes" earlier this week. LSA sophomore Erika Dowdell then questioned Cohen about his saying that white students applying to the University's Law School had a low admittance rate, while African American students had a higher rate of acceptance. "Doesn't it seem like you're punishing people for being a minority?" Dowdell asked.

Cohen said he was using an example to call attention to the disparities that exist between people of different races applying for the same positions.

"It's hard to get into our Law School. If you're a very good student, not great, but good, then your chances of getting in are about one in 50," Cohen said. "But if you're a black student, your chances of being accepted are 10 in 10. If that's not racial discrimination, I don't know what is."

LSA senior Erin Gilbert, who organized the forum, said she wanted to bring different perspectives together to discuss the issue. "Affirmative Action is important for the University of Michigan at this point. Part of the purpose of this forum is to bring together all of the different perspectives surrounding the issue and to discuss the importance it will have on the larger student population," Gilbert said.

Interim Vice President for Student Affairs E. Royster Harper said the roundtable discussion would allow for clarification. "Our goal is to ask questions to understand the issue so we can then do the problem solving set of work," Harper said.