'U' aids Tower Societies in move

By Anna Clark

Daily Staff Reporter

Michigamua has found a new home, with the University's help.

The University spent an estimated $5,800 for carpeting, wiring and structural alterations to refurbish meeting space at 109 E. Madison St. for Michigamua and two other honor societies, according to documents obtained by The Michigan Daily through the Michigan Freedom of Information Act.

Dean of Students Frank Cianciola confirmed the estimates, adding that the exact cost "has not come through yet."

"I have written estimates for a little over $5,800. In addition, I think there will be some costs for keys and some moving expense," Cianciola said in a written statement.

Part of the third floor of the University-owned building at the corner of East Madison and South Fourth Avenue is also the new home of the Vulcan and Phoenix societies. The groups moved there last month and can remain there for two years, which is the normal lease cycle for student groups.

The building is also housing the University Musical Society and Building Services.

The move follows the Students of Color Coalition's fervent campaign earlier this year to oust Michigamua from its meeting space in the Michigan Union tower.

Although Michigamua - a group whose practices have been deemed offensive by the SCC and Native American groups - modified their name to "Michigamua: New Traditions for a New Millennium" to signify change, questions linger on the group's relationship with University administration. This relationship was one of the SCC's major complaints during their 37-day occupation of the tower.

Interim Vice President for Student Affairs E. Royster Harper, who, along with Cianciola, coordinated Michigamua's move, said the societies received nothing the University wouldn't offer any other group in their situation.

Harper said money for renovations came from a non-general fund account, which includes revenue from rented campus space for businesses, such as restaurants in the Union basement. She added that the renovations were to improve "unhealthy conditions" at the East Madison building.

Harper and Cianciola both said it was coincidental that the first three offices available were in the same building.

"We told the three groups they had to leave the tower space, and we said we'd help them find new space," Harper said. "This is typically what we do for any student organization."

Harper cited only one other case - the Inter cooperative Council - in which the University aided an organization in finding office space.

The societies didn't go through the same process to petition for space as other organizations on campus, Harper said. Although other groups applied at the end of last year for space this academic year, Harper said the Tower Societies lost their offices this summer and the University made an exception in the usual process to be fair.

"If we didn't offer them this space we would've been saying, 'You can't go back to your offices and you can't apply for new space either,'" she said.

But SCC member Colette Routel said Michigamua had enough opportunity and warning to apply for space by the deadline.

She said it was unfair because Michigamua chose not to apply for space last year when members knew there was a possibility of being removed from the tower.

"Michigamua was told they should apply like any other student group," said Routel, a Law student. "They refused and said if they lost their space, they'd go off-campus. They made that choice and they should've followed through with it."

Adrian Prather, Engineering junior and Phoenix member, said his group foresaw that they'd have to vacate the Union.

"We figured that it was definitely privileged space; we knew that," Prather said. "It was too much of a problem for us to stay there."

University graduate Marisa Thomas, a former Phoenix member, said the administration took the lead on finding new accommodations.

"Really, the administration found the space. But we did all the physical move," Thomas said.

Both Thomas and Prather said their new office is smaller and less comfortable than their previous office.

SCC member Joe Reilly accused administrators of having ulterior motives in giving the Tower Societies new space.

"The real fear is the loss of money from the generous contributions from the alumni of these societies, particularly Michigamua," said Reilly, an SNRE senior.

University administrators proposed transitional space for Michigamua during the first week of the tower occupation in February.

SCC members rejected the proposal because they thought it was still special treatment, Routel said.

"We explained why we thought this was unfair and magically it came out of the woodwork this summer," Routel said. "We expected nothing less from the administration and of course it's not at all what we want."

The SCC's occupation of Michigamua's meeting space ignited a fiery debate over space allocation for student groups. A panel was assigned to analyze the process and make recommendations to Harper and Bollinger.

Among the recommendations released in April, the panel suggested organizations should respect diverse perspectives and should not be given indefinite University-owned space.

One recommendation suggests that groups wanting space in buildings such as the Michigan League and Union should be registered with Michigan Student Assembly.

The MSA Website for group registration lists the privilege of Union office space as a benefit of registration with the assembly, but none of the Tower Societies are registered on the site.

Harper pointed out that MSA isn't registered either, although it has it's own office in the Union.

She said she did nothing out of the ordinary for Michigamua. Harper said she normally doesn't get involved in the space allocation process except in special cases of big events or transitions.

"The (University) president said in a statement that the interim dean of students should coordinate the move," Harper said.

Cianciola also identified the president's statement as the motivation for finding alternate office space for the societies.

The societies aren't the first group to be forced out of the Union. In 1995, the Inter-Cooperative Council - which coordinates cooperative housing - and the Student Buyers Association, which provides food for co-ops and Greek houses, lost their offices on the fourth floor following renovations, said Richard Swonger, ICC director of financial services.

Cianciola said all groups forced out were offered temporary space in the Perry Building on Packard Avenue.

"They offered to help us find space, as they do for all student groups," said Susan Caya, ICC director of education and training.

But Bonnie Denler, ICC director of member services, said there was no such offer.

"We were kicked out of the Michigan Union when the fourth floor was renovated ... The University did not provide or even offer any "transitional" office space," Denler said in a written statement.

Swonger said the administration "was no help whatever," adding that SBA occupied its Union office for about 20 years.

"They showed absolutely no interest in us," Swonger said.

Caya maintained that there was a general offer of temporary space to the organizations that no longer had space at the Union, but the ICC chose to find a new location independently. She declined to comment on any problems she may have encountered with the administration.

The Union meeting space of most student groups is pretty stable, said SNRE senior Jessica Mendelowitz, president of Environmental Action.

"We'd be pretty shocked if we lost our office space," she said.

Mendelowitz said EnAct applies every two years to renew the lease they've had "for years and years."

"I feel that priority does go to those who do obvious projects on campus," she said.

She added that a group's history, number of members and office use is taken into account on the application.

chose not to apply for space last year when members knew there was a possibility of being removed from the tower.