Page 18-Friday, April 20, 1979-The Michigan Daily Regents, protesters avoid clash (ContinuedfromPage1) to move to a different room should meeting until after the black attrition protesters disrupt their meetings. report is reviewed. That portion of the The demonstrators attempted to be meeting is scheduled for 11 a.m., direc- dramatic in making their statements, tly following the discussion of divest- using symbolism in several of their ac- ment from the two companies. tions. Aside from the gags and the AT YESTERDAY'S meetings, the signs, the group stationed three of its protesters wore gags "because the members to stand on one side of the Regents have used the courts to stifle room with signs identifying them as the spirit of the Open Meetings Act; for "trustees" and striking poses reflecting two years the Board of Regents have the "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no avoided open discussion of divest- evil" axiom. ment," according to a statement Also, when the protesters left the released by the WCCAA. meeting briefly at 2 p.m., their exit Many of the protesters also wore followed a 30-second taped statement signs bearing the oames of black South saying, "We, the members of the Africans who have died, allegedly as a University community, object to the result of the apartheid system. way in which the University is handling The Regents last month obtained a their South African investment policy." court order allowing Board members The demonstrators filed out of the to meet before only representatives of ballroom with their right hands raised the press, after divestment supporters chanting "U of M, U.S.A., out of South outshouted the eight-member body. Africa right away." WHILE THE ORDER was later WCCAA SPOKESPERSONS said the dissolved, a declaratory judgment han- tape was made to keep the Regents ded down last week would allow the from accusing individuals of disrupting Regents, under the Open Meetings Act, the meeting. MAKE AN INVESTMENT IN YOUR FUTURE- O Y f O C3 O * FULLY ELECTRIC PORTABLE - QUICK-CHANGE RIBBON SYSTEM> - WIDE CARRIAGE WITH POWER RETURN - OFFICE-SIZED KEYBOARD " FUL L-RANGE KEYBOARD TABULATOR - 2 CHANGEABLE TYPE KEYS - FOR SPECIAL CHARACTERS - VARIABLE IMPRESSION AND TOUCH SELECTORS L/ST PRICE $359.50 Coronamatic 2200 Cellar Price $269.00 in the Michigan Union basement ggfiBI0MEANSB09 ?< Eight divestment supporters did, however, address the Regents directly during the public comments session of yesterday's meeting. Seven of the speakers called for immediate divest- ment, and all received thundering ap- plause. Among the harshest statements was one made by University Economics Prof. Daniel Fusfeld. The senior faculty member strongly attacked the Regents' practice of determining whether South African corporations are fighting discrimination by simply asking them: "IT'S AS IF we went-to the lions and asked them if they have stopped eating meat. 'Yes,' they rdply, 'we are all vegetarians."' Fusfeld continued to say that a friend of his had once said, '"You've got to remember, Dan,' he told me, 'The Regents aren't evil people, they're just stupid,"' said the economist. Assistant Political Science Prof. Joel Samoff said the University has an obligation to "be leaders and not followers. We should be taking the initiative" in battling apartheid, he said. MICHIGAN State University (MSU) Assistant Prof. William Derman said the Regents face many of the same questions MSU Trustees had to con- sider before they voted to divest last year. "If we call apartheid by its correct name of slavery, how can anyone argue against divestment?" Derman asked the Regents. University Economics Professor Thomas Weisskopf also advocated divestment, calling it "a highly visible, unambiguous act," whose "financial cost is relatively small." A UNIVERSITY sophomore Pat An- derson spoke against immediate divestment. He instead called for the University to review the records of South African lirms as well as set up stronger guidelines than the Sullivan Principles. "Immediate divestment is nothing more than tying our hands. The choice must be dramatic action or ef- fective action." Among other concerns expressed during public comments were alleged improprieties in the Athletic Depar- tment and whether Michigan Student Assembly (MSA) funding should be mandatory orvoluntary (see related stories). In other action yesterday, the Board passed a resolution raising the student fee for Health Service from $17 to $23 per term. For spring and summer ter- ms the fee is $12. The increases are part of a five-year plan to reduce general fund support of Health Service, forcing the facility to rely more on student fees. THE REGENTS also voted to keep Family Housing rates for 1979-80 year the same as this year while also calling for a $3 increase in family housing con- tributions to the Ann Arbor Public Schools for services to children living in the housing complexes. The Regents also approved several University construction and im- provement projects, including a $250,000 renovation of the Chemistry Building Laboratory and a $150,000 rejuvenation of the East Engineering Building classrooms. Other planned construction work includes renovations in the Business Administration Building (costing $430,000), the Natural Resources Building ($290,000), and replacement of the gas lines in North- wood II and III ($300,000). A Residence Hall emergency lighting project is also scheduled to begin with Phase I, costing $100,000, which in- cludes the installation of a generator in West Quad. The Board also called for a $150,000 improvement program to im- prove Fuller Field. The Regents also reviewed a report from Brinkerhoff, who admitted the University's investment portfolio had fared badly over the last year but had done well over a ten-year period.