A lifelong interest in anthropology and natural history led MFA student Marco Garcia to create ‘e-volution,’ his final student project at the U-M, shown here as it was displayed in the Slusser Gallery last week. Garcia characterizes the multimedia display as a blend between museum dioramas and fine art. His figures and background incorporate leaves, grass, sand and ferns in and around the life-sized figures that were made by taking casts of his friends.
Garcia’s work will be displayed at the Media Union Gallery April 20–30. Photo by Bill Wood, U-M Photo Services
Rally cry: ‘Defend affirmative action’
Student Erika Dowdell hands a petition with 8,652 signatures to President Lee C. Bollinger as Provost Nancy Cantor (left) looks on. The petition asks the University to ‘Reverse the Drop In Minority Enrollment at U-M.’ Dowdell, an activist with Defend Affirmative Action By Any Means Necessary (BAMN), challenged the administration to ‘match your deeds with your words in defense of affirmative action.’ Bollinger thanked the group for bringing the petition and said the administration ‘firmly believes in diversity of all kinds.’
Cantor also spoke briefly, saying, ‘We want you to know how hard and how vigorously we will continue to fight for affirmative action.’
The 85 rally participants began their activities on April 12 with a march from the Diag to the Fleming Administration Building. Speaking from the steps of the Hatcher Graduate library, Dowdell said, ‘Today is the start of our version of Brown vs. Board of Education.’
The rally continued at 2 p.m. in front of the Washtenaw County 14th District Court in Ann Arbor, where a hearing on the lawsuit challenging the Law School’s admissions practices was conducted by federal Judge Bernard Friedman. Photo by Britt Halvorson
