In the news

BRIAN DICKERSON: Immigrants creating a brain gain in Michigan

Wayne State University demographer Kurt Metzger was quoted on the thousands of degreed immigrants who\'ve moved in since 1995. Metzger\'s analysis of census data shows the immigrants' college-educated peers from Asia and Latin America are migrating to Michigan in record numbers. The bottom line, he told the governor\'s brain trust, is that \"we\'re more than replacing the educated native-born with the educated foreign-born.\"

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Wayne State University Library System, Miller, Canfield, Paddock, and Stone, P.L.C. and Phi Beta Kappa presented "The Impact of the USA Patriot Act on the University," Tuesday, Sept. 28 at the Bernath Auditorium in the David Adamany Undergraduate Library. "It's crucial to highlight the potential impact that the USA Patriot Act could have on academia," said Sandra Yee, dean of Wayne State's Library System. "This act could have a chilling effect on research and intellectual freedom, which are critical to our nation's freedom," Yee added. Robert Sedler, Wayne State Law School professor, was a panel member.

Politicians storm Michigan campuses to get out vote

College campuses across Michigan are buzzing with activity to get more young people to vote. Young voters had a dismal showing in the 2000 election, but polls suggest they plan to vote in large numbers this year, which could be a deciding factor in a tight race for the White House. \"Rock the Vote\" is planning concerts at U-M and Wayne State University. Henry Ford Community College is sponsoring a regional convention today with seven colleges for National Students Political Issues Week to craft a political agenda specifically tailored to young people and their concerns.

Wayne State mentioned in an Arkansas invenstigation

An article about the investigation into the death of a man in police custody in Nashville, Ark. in 2003, mentioned that Wayne State faculty member performed one of two independent autopsies for the case. When the Arkansas Medical Examiner performed the autopsy on Larry \"Nicky\" Hill Jr., he found Hill\'s death to be natural disease processes and accidental circumstances.Toxicology tests found that Hill had a blood alcohol content of 0.14, well above the legal limit of 0.08. The Arkansas Medical Examiner\'s report also found pepper foam as the only link to police officers. An autopsy report by Dr. Werner Spitz, Wayne State University professor of pathology and Macomb County, Michigan medical examiner, concurred with the autopsy report released by Arkansas Chief Medical Examiner William Sturner.

Teen's lawyer decries tactics

Law professor Peter Henning, a former federal prosecutor, is quoted in a story about the upcoming trial of the Clinton Township teen who is accused of planning a Columbine-style massacre at his high school. The student\'s attorney claims the case has been tainted by overzealous prosecution and media publicity. Henning speculated that the prosecution\'s case may not be as strong as originally thought and could be difficult to prove. \"People say things (online) to impress people,\" he said. They lie and make up whole personalities. What they say may not be reflective of what they actually intend to do.\"

Africa Town plan will hasten Detroit's demise, not stem the tide

In a column critical of the Detroit City Council\'s plan to create a $30 million-a-year entrepreneurial zone called Africa Town, Laura Berman contends the plan would \"accelerate the city\'s demise, not stem it.\" The plan would classify black Detroiters as an \"under-served majority\" entitled to special funds other groups could not apply for. Berman writes: \"While immigrants elsewhere in America are revitalizing urban areas, they\'re moving straight to the suburbs here - and revitalizing them, notes Kurt Metzger, the research director at Wayne State University\'s Center for Urban Studies.\"