michian DAILY
Ann Arbor, Michigan FREE ISSUE
Friday, April 20, 1979
Twenty-four Pages
Protesters refrain from
disrupting Regents meeting
By MITCH CANTOR
More than 300 protesters,
avoiding the shouting match
which took place at last mon-
th's Regents meeting, wore
gags and sat passively yester-
day in the Michigan Union
ballroom as the Board again
convened.
The demonstrators, primarily
students and members of the
Washtenaw County Coalition Against
Apartheid (WCCAA), are demanding
the University divest from corporations
which do business in South Africa.
The protesters, who also plan to at-
tend today's meeting in the ballroom,
will be granted the opportunity to
discuss the divestment issue and
problems with University black
enrollment and attrition, with the
Regents. Interim University President
Allan Smith indicated each issue would
probably be given up to 30 minutes of
discussion time.
THE SPECIFIC issue concerning
South African holdings scheduled to be
discussed today, is whether the Univer-
sity should divest from two companies,
Black & Decker and G.D. Searle, which
according to report filed by the
Univesity's chief financial officer
James Brinkerhoff have not taken
adequate steps within the last year to
alleviate discrimination in their firms.
The Regents will vote today on whether
to divest from the two companies.
The other item on which there will be
public discussion is a report included in
the Regents' agenda which reveals a
declining black enrollment and
describes many of the University's af-
firmative action policies.
Spokespersons for the WCCAA would
not discuss the group's strategy for
today's meeting. They said their
strategy will depend on what happens
at the meeting. They did say, however,
that the group will not disrupt the
See REGENTS, Page 18
Daily Photo by ANDY FREEBERG
CHANTING FOR divestment, members of the Washtenaw County Coalition Against Apartheid raise their fists in solidarity
at yesterday's Regents' meeting. Members of the group, who sat passively through much of the meeting, will have the
opportunity to speak to the Regents about divestment and minority enrollment at today's meeting.
MSA FUNDING IN QUESTION:,
'U mayreview electi0nS
By JULIE ENGEBRECHT
The University Regents and
executive officers stepped into the con-
troversy over the recently-voided
Michigan Student Assembly (MSA)
elections yesterday by agreeing to con-
sider a motion to direct University
Vice-President of Student Services
Henry Johnson to review the results
and determine whether the election
should be certified.
The request, presented to the Regents
by Interim President Allan Smith, also
asked that MSA's mandatory fee
allocation request be administered by
Johnson until he determines whether or
not MSA is capable of managing its own
affairs.
THE RESOLUTION was tabled until
today so the Regents could hear a
speech by Literary College (LSA )
junior Joshua Banner during the public
comments portion of the monthly
meeting. Banner opposes mandatory
funding of MSA projects.
Although the Regents were to decide
yesterday on a proposal for two years of
mandatory funding, the Board decided
to put that question off until today also,
claiming that the issues were too
closely related.
Several of the Regents questioned
Johnson and MSA members about
which groups MSA allocates funds to,
and asked for a report from Student
Legal Services about its activities.
Legal Services makes an annual report
of its expenditures and types of cases
'All olfa sudde-n, etrirY-
thing we (did all vrar
do,sn't make any diffeir-
ence at all.
Jim Sulliran,
former MSA mhmber
and activities it deals with. There was a
question about whether a report would
be required after the mandatory fee
was assessed last July, however.
PAUL TEICH, Student Legal Ser-
vices lawyer said, "If they'd like a
report, we'll be more than happy to give
them one." MSA President Eric Arnson
said Legal Services would have a report
ready for the Regents today.
In his five-minute address during
See MANDATORY, Page 16
WCCAA: Acause
links diverse groups
By LEONARD BERNSTEIN the Afro-American Students
A Daily News Analysis Association, and the Young
The highly organized effort to prod Socialists Alliance. Representatives
the University Regents to divest say the WCCAA itself has a core of
from corporations doing business in approximately 80 students, faculty,
South Africa is led by a loosely-knit and local citizens who strongly favor
group from around the University divestment.
community - the Washtenaw Coun- THE PRO-DIVESTMENT demon-
ty Coalition Against Apartheid. strators who have packed the last
WCCAA spokespersons say the two Regents' meetings share a
group is actually a network of similar leftist approach to a variety
loosely-affiliated campus groups, of campus political issues. Many of
including the Black Students Union, See WHO, Page 14