Today marks the one-year anniversary of the end of the Students of Color Coalition"s 37-day takeover of the Michigan Union tower. The SCC occupied the tower in an attempt to end what they deemed to be racist practices by the University"s senior honor society, Michigamua. However, many members of the University community are still unsatisfied with the action taken by the University and Michigamua to attempt to resolve the situation.

In an open letter to the University community one year ago, Michigamua, having recognized the offensive nature of its desecration of Native American rituals, claimed that "As such, in a 1989 agreement with the Native American community, Michigamua ended reference to and usage of this symbolism and all artifacts acquired from Native Americans decades ago." However, pictures taken after 1989 found in the tower showed Michigamua members participating in pseudo-Native American rituals like using a Native American "peace pipe." If Michigamua expects recognition of any positive changes that may have been made to the organization, members of the society must be as open as possible about Michigamua"s past and present.

The burden of proof for convincing the University community that the new Michigamua has shed its old ways lies with its members. However, like any other private social organization at the University, Michigamua has the right to do what they want a right that includes the offensive use of Native American ritual and artifacts in their own ceremonies.

However, Michigamua should take the initiative to respond to the requests of the Native American community by changing the name that so many have found so offensive.

While the University itself cannot do anything to change the rituals of Michigamua, the University administration can still take measures to ensure that Michigamua is not granted any special privileges. This includes making certain that the three-person space allocation panel created to investigate Michigamua"s use of the tower continues to enforce uniform standards in the allocation of University space to student groups.

Although Michigamua has moved out of the Union tower, the fact of the matter is that the University still provides the group privileged space at a building at 109 E. Madison St. University President Lee Bollinger and Vice President for Student Affairs E. Royster Harper claim they are treating Michigamua like any normal student group. Clearly, this is a lie.

While Michigamua insists that it is not a secret society, but rather prefers anonymous University service in the spirit of humility, perhaps its members should have figured out by now that the secretive nature of the society helps to contribute to what Michigamua insists is a misconception of the group"s true purpose. It is in Michigamua"s and the University"s best interest for the organization to assume responsibility for showing that racially-degrading practices no longer take place. A good place to start would be to change the society"s name.

The simple addition of the meaningless phrase "New Traditions for a New Millenium" hasn"t fooled anyone. Michigamua and the University administration need to come clean the University community should accept nothing less.