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Ninety-Two Years
of
.Editorial PFreedom
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DECLINING
Mostly cloudy today with
possible snow this after-
noon. High today near 30,
low tonight in the teens.
Vol. XCII, No. 98 Copyright 1982, The Michigan Daily Ann Arbor, Michigan-Friday; January 29, 1982 Ten Cents Twelve Pages
LSA may
test TAs'
English
language
proficiency
By BETH ALLEN
It's a familiar complaint-students in
lower-level math, language, and scien-
ce courses say they can't grasp the
material because they can't understand
their foreign-born teaching assistants'.
spoken English.
"Freshmen, in particular, are very
snsitive to an accent right at the
beginning," said 'LSA Curriculum
Committee Member and English Prof.
Buzz Alexander. "But the complaint
level drops off very quickly within the
first few weeks."
LSA departments have had difficulty
determining whether complaints con-
cerning foreign TAs are the result of
their poor English or merely the
products of impatient students upset
with their poor academic performance,
Alexander said.
PRESENTLY, all foreign-born
graduate students must pass the writ-
ten English competency exams before
they are admitted to the University.
LSA Associate Dean for Curricular
Affairs Jens Zorn and the LSA
Curriculum Committee have been
working with the LSA Executive Com-
mittee to formulate minimum English
competency requirements to remedy
the sensitive situation.
However, according to a curriculum
committee proposal, "English com-
petence tests used for Rackham ad-
mission are not reliable indicators of a
person's ability to speak effectively in'
the classroom, and each yearwe find a
few sections of important courses that
are severely limited thereby. The
problem has persisted in spite of
widespread recognition of its
magnitude."
The curriculum committee is
working on a college-wide proposal
which would require foreign-born
teaching assistants who earned their
high school diplomas outside of the
United States to pass an oral
examination. The test would be ad-
ministered by a six-member cer-
tification board comprised of faculty,'
students, and staff. If the students
failed the exam, they would be required
to take an English course while they are
teaching.
THE CERTIFICATION board would
also have the right to fire a TA if he or
she did not pass the exam after taking
See LSA, Page 5
EMU begins
cuts; House
threatens to
A WORKER ATTEMPTS to salvage records after the 1950 Haven Hall fire. That blaze, like the December fire in the
Economics Building, was set by an arsonist.
Econblaze rekindles'
emoories of Haven"fi re
delay.
From staff and wire reports
Democratic leaders on the House Ap-
propriations Committee' yesterday
promised no quick action on Gov.
Milliken's 1983 budget, nor on his
proposed $225 million budget-balancing
cuts for 1982.
As the state begins legislative action
on its Milliken-backed budget and
educational aid deferment plan,
Eastern Michgian University began
trimming its programs. The first cut of
almost $700,000 were approved by the
EMU Regents Wednesday.
The governor's proposal calls for
making the cuts in the final quarter of
the 1982 fiscal year and then making
them up in the first quarter of the 1983
budget year.
CHAIRMAN Dominic "Jacobetti (D-
Negaunee), said the powerful commit-
tee would probably not finish action on
the proposed budget until June or later.
He said the 1982 proposals - in which
budg9et
the governor wants to cut state aid for
higher education, community colleges
and local governments - would be con-
sidered "right along with the budget
process."
Jacobetti also said he does not, like
many of Milliken's spending priorities,
including increased money for the arts
and cooperative extension services. He
advocated that more money be spent on
such items as-vocational education.
Rep. Gary Owen. (D-Ypsilanti) also
said that the lawmakers may insist
upon Milliken issuing an executive or-
der making the cuts, rather than the
current proposal, that the legislature
pass a bill cutting 1982 appropriations.
AS A RESULT of October, 1981 reduc-
tions in state aid to higher education,
regents at Eastern Michigan Univer-
sity, in Ypsilanti, approved a cut of
almost $700,000 from the current budget
Wednesday and extended a $600,000 cut
See STATE, Page 5
By PERRY CLARK
The Christmas Eve fire that gutted
the Economics Building last year was
not the first to destroy a University
facility and its invaluable mterials.
On June 6, 1950 the old Haven Hall
was destroyed by a raging blaze that
was also set by an arsonist.
Alvin Kaplan, a 22-year-old student
at the time, discovered the fire while
on his way to a 4:30 appointment in
the old building, He noticed smoke
coming from a second floor room,
smashed a fire alarm box, and began
combing the building, warning people
of the fire.
WITHIN FIVE minutes of the
alarm, firefighters arrived, but it was
too late. Before the blaze was brought
under control at 9 p.m., the building
had been destroyed. University
officials estimated the loss at $3
million.
Then-Fire Chief Ben Zahn called
the fire the worst he had seen since
joining the fire department 34 years
previously. A crowd of 20,000
gathered to watch, and over 100
students pitched in to help the under-
manned firefighters.
Firemen poured over 850,000
gallons of water, one-sixth. of the
city's reservoir, on the blaze at the
rate of 2,500 gallons a minute. The
searing heat turned water sprayed on
the roof into clouds of steam.
FIRE-FIGHTER Chester Brown
was on the first truck that arrived at
the blaze. "It was going pretty a;od,"
he said. The fire was "rolling and
crackling," and, eventually, he and
others were forced outside by the in-
tensity of the flames, Brown said.
A large contingent of fire-fighting
equipment was dispatched to the
See OLD, Page 9
'U' adds $2000
to. arson reward
General Dozier
freed in raid byai nP-cek
Itainple
ByPERRY CLARK
The University will contribute- an
additional $2,000 in reward money for
information leading to the arrest and
conviction of the person or persons.
responsible for the Economics
Building fire, police and University
officials said yesterday.
Wono Lee, associate director of In-
formation Services, said the $2,000
will be added to the $2,000 already
being offered by the State Arson Con-
trol program. The University's por-
tion of the reward will come from the
Plant Dept. funds, he said.
ANYONE WITH information should
call Arson Control collect at 517-322-
0469, or the Ann Arbor Police tipline,
996-3199.
Director of Security Walter Stevens
said, "We felt the University" could
add to the amount in hopes that in-
formation could be garnered from
someone in the Ann Arbor area.
"The investigation is proceeding
with vigor and as well as can be ex-
pected," Stevens said. He. added that
there. were no actual suspects, but
that investigators were "checking out
many different areas trying to come
up with any investigative leads."
Raymond Woodruff, commander of
the Detective Division of the Ann Ar-
bor Police, said he has been satisfied
with the progress of the investigation.
He said Ann Arbor Fire Dept. person-.
nel, police investigators, and officials
from the state fire marshal have been
working on the case.,
Officials dispute divestment bill
I - - -
By BARRY WITT
University officials yesterday
disputed the constitutionality of state
legislation that would require the
P University to divest from U.S. com-
panies operating in South Africa.
The House Civil Rights Committee
this week unanimously approved the
bill, which calls for all state educational
institutions to withdraw , their invest-
ments from corporations with holdings
in the racially-segregrated country.
But some University administrators,
who in previous years have refused to
divest despite volatile campus protests,
believe that the state does not have the
constitutional authority to determine
how the University will use its money.
IN RECENT years, several campus
groups have demanded that the Regen-
ts divest from corporations with
holdings in South Africa, whose policy
of apartheid is discriminatory to
blacks.
The Regents agreed to invest in only
those companies that abided by the
Sullivan Principles-which ask com-
panies to practice non-discriminatory
employment policies-but only
divested from one firm. Several univer-
sities across the country, including
Michigan State University, divested en-
tirely.
Critics of the University's investment
maintain that firms with operations in
South Africa support a racist gover-,
nment.
BUT THE bill, which is expected to
come up for a vote by the full house late
next month, would circumvent the
University's reluctance to divest.
University counsel Roderick Daane
said yesterday that "the legislature
does not have the constitutional power
to make that decision. Michigan's con-
stitution states that the Regents have
'control and direction. of all expen-
ditures from the institution's funds.' "
But an aide to Rep. Perry Bullard (D-
Ann Arbor), the bill's sponsor, said it is
within the state's police power to enfor-
ce civil rights legislation. Dave Cahill
said that just as the state has the power
to arrest a suspected murderer within
the confines of- the campus, it also can
enforce anti-discriminatory legislation.
If the legislation passes and receives
the governor's approval, the Regents'
will then have to decide whether to
abide by it or contest the bill's con-
stitutionality.
REGENTS Thomas Roach (D-
Saline) and Deane Baker (R-Ann Ar-
bor) yesterday both reaffirmed their
commitment to the University gover-
ning board's autonomy. Roach said he
would not support legislation that for-
ced the University to pull out of major
Michigan companies such as General
Motors.
Baker, who has not seen the bill, said
the University has a "fair program" for
its dealings with companies in South
Africa. "(The Regents) look to the best
interests of the University, but the
legislature often looks at the best in-
terests of the individual (legislators),"
Baker said.
' Bullard said the legislation's chances
are good, but "by no means a sure
thing." He said he hopes to have sup-
port similar to that of Las.t year when
the legislature passed a bill requiring
banks to certify they are not making
loans to South Africa or South African
corporations before they can receive
state deposits.
Some conservative memlers of the
legislature disapprove of the legislation
because it singles out South Africa for
violating human rights, while ignoring
countries with worse records, such as
the Soviet Union, according to Rep.
Alan Cropsey (R-DeWitt).
From AP and UPI
PADUA, Italy - Police commandos
stormed a second-floor apartment and
rescued kidnapped American general
James Dozier from under the guns of
his Red Brigades kidnappers yesterday.
in a "textbook" operation that dealt a
stunning blow to Italy's feared leftist
. terrorist gang.
The raiders smashed down the door
of the "people's prison" and pounced on
a gunman pointing a pistol at the U.S.
Army officer's head, Italian authorities
reported.
"IF THEY hadn't been. so fast, the
story would have had a different en-
ding," Interior Minister Virginio
Rognoni said.
Five Red Brigades tef-rorists-three
meri and two women-were arrested at
the five-room Padua apartment where
Dozier apparently had been held since
his abduction from his Verona home
Dec. 17.
The lightning raid ended a 42-day or-
deal for Brig. Gen. Dozier, 50, the
highest-ranking Americin atthe NATO
base in Verona,'40 miles west of here.
DOZIER, FOUND bound, gagged, in
stocking feet and a blue warm-up suit,
was whisked to Padua police headquar-.
ters and then to a hospital at a NATO
base in nearby Vicenza for
examination. Officers there said the
first thing he asked for was a barber,
who shaved off six weeks' growth of
beard.
"I never lost hope of being freed," he
was quoted as saying.
Dozier
.feeling 'just marvelous'
Police officials said not a shot was
fired in the entire operation, which took
but 90 seconds from, the moment 10.
crack commandos wearing masks and
bullet-proof vests burst down the door
to the time a stunned Dozier, being
freed from his bonds, cracked a smile:
"STUPENDOUS operation," said
Dozier, who told officials he thought he
was about to die. "Just marvelous ... I
feel very good, very good indeed."
President Reagan ,made a two-
minute telephone call t Dozier, and
sent a congratulatory telegram to
Italian officials.
TODAY-
Portly pets
POODLE TOO pudgy? Cat too fat? -Dr.' Howard
Pawdee, the Nathan Pritkin of the pet set, says
he has the cure. Pawdee, a veterinarian who
operates an "obesity clinic" at the East Side
UncivilACLU?
The ever-vigilant Moral Majority has labeled the
American Civil Liberties Union. the Number 1 enemy of
civil rights. In its Jan. 25 newsletter, the religious fun-
damentalist organization cited the recent federal court
decision striking down the Arkansas creation-science law
as an example of the ACLU "running roughshod over the
will of the people of Arkansas." It claimed the ACLU was
not recognizing the Legislature and the governor as
-- -- -^1- of .th... .. rnL.. ..,.4 'rhn. TIl ir ~ t ,a of athoA.,! wca
hours in a dispute over'a $128 hotel bill, but won freedom in
return for her promise to perform at a nightclub in Old,
Montreal. It all started when Simone arrived from Paris on
Tuesday and checked into the Park Regent Hotel while con-.
sidering an offer to sing at George Durst's nightclub, Le\
Bijou. "She said a club owner would pay her bill," said
hotel manager Carel Folkerman, "but when we called Dur-
st, he said 'absolutely not.' ". Police were summoned. And
when Miss Simone called Durst from the police station and
demanded that he free her, the nightclub owner
areed-providing she ive three shows aRt his iclubhnext
Torquay, Phillips, 62, has been ripening bananas for 44
years for a fruit importer. He says he has had to turn down
45 applications from people who wanted his post because
they were too young. "After all, it's a man's job," he said.
The skill of a banana ripener, according to Phillips, lies in
spotting rogue bunches that ripen after only two or three
days instead of the normal four.
On the inside
I I.
I