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Ninety-six years of editorialfreedom
Ann Arbor, Michigan - Wednesday, December 4, 1985

Iatig

Vol. XCVI - No. 63

Copyright 1985, The Michigan Daily

Eight Pages

AIDS fuels prejudice against

By VIBEKE LAROI
Last in a series
Members of the University's gay com-
munity say that the outbreak of AIDS
nationwide has fueled homophobia and
resulted in increased discrimination against
those who practice a homosexual lifestyle.
"I never had a problem with people at-
tacking me for being gay," said Lee
Kikuchi, an employee in the University's
mathematical reviews department, "but
now even if I touch someone, they tense up."
GAYS have reacted to the increasing num-
ber of attacks on their lifestyle from in-
dividuals and through legislation in many
Dcities across the nation by becoming less
verbal and open about their gayness, said
Kikuchi.

"AIDS has pushed the gay rights
movement back," he said.
Judy Levy, a gay employee at University
Hospitals and member of the Task Force on
Sexual Orientation, agrees that AIDS has
caused the gay rights movement to regress.
DISCRIMINATION because of people's
fear of AIDS "forces gay people back into
the closet," said Levy.
AIDS, or Acquired Immune Deficiency
Syndrome, is an infectious disease caused
by the HTLV-III virus which breaks down
the body's immune system, leaving it
susceptible to infection.
Ninety-five cases of AIDS have been
reported in Michigan - four cases are
currently being treated at University
Hospitals - and over 14,000 people nation-

I never had a problem
with people attacking
me for being gay, but
now even if I touch
someone, they tense up.'
- Lee Kikuchi,
University employee

wide have contracted the disease, according
to statistics from the Centers for Disease
Control in Atlanta.
ALTHOUGH a majority of AIDS cases
involve gay or bisexual men, AIDS victims
also include intravenous drug users,
hemophiliacs, recipients of blood tran-
sfusions, and heterosexuals who have come
into contact with the virus. Thus it is a myth
that AIDS is simply a "gay disease," exper-
ts say.
Medical experts have also said that the
disease cannot be spread through casual
contact, but only through exchange of
bodily fluids, semen or blood.
"AIDS is just a "handy excuse" for
discrimination against gays, said John
Syler, a member of Ann Arbor's gay com-

mur
the
exp
mis
fear
gay
oth
drin
V
ope
risk
rest
hom
isn'
"As

gays
inity. "They (the general public) think
worst and act on the worst," he added,
laining why he believes there is a lot of
information about the disease.
THERE is a great deal of irrational
r," Syler said. He has noted that many
s and non-gays are afraid to hug each
er, and guests at his house request to
nk out of b6ttles instead of his glasses.
ery few people are brave enough to be
n about their gayness because of the
.s involved, like being denied service in a
taurant or getting kicked out of your
e, Syler said.
It is a fearsome disease, and anyone who
t taking precautions is crazy," he said.
time goes on, gradually most thinking
See MANY, Page 2


MSA

delays

vote

on

computer fee

By JERRY MARKON
The Michigan Student Assembly
last night tabled a proposal that
would have called on the University to
delay its imposition of the mandatory
computer fee after the administration
official. responsible for the fee defen-
ded it before the assembly.
The proposal, which was written by
assembly members Steve Heyman
and Matt Tucker, contended that the
adminstration has not aggressively
sought out computer funding from
private sources, and has not involved
students in University computer
policy.
THE University Board of Regents
approved a plan in September to
assess a computer fee of $50 next term
and $100 each term thereafter for all

students except those in the
engineering and business schools who
already pay $150 per term to support
computing activities.
Last night the assembly decided,
however, to consider the comments
made by Douglas Van Houweling, the
University's Vice Provost for Infor-
mation Technology, before taking a
firm stand on the fee.
VAN HOUWELING said last night
that his office "left no stone untur-
ned" in trying to avoid a student fee,
but that the $4,106,000 expense for
computer services this year left him
with no choice.
He added that the student fee
represents only one third of the
overall computer cost, with donations
from computer vendors in private in-

dustry, and allocations from the
University's general fund, covering
the other two thirds.
Assembly members nonetheless
expressed concerns that students in
colleges other than engineering and
business will not use computers
enough to justify paying the fee.
"I WOULD serioiusly question what
use a sculpture major would have for
computers," said David Lovinger, a
representative from the School of Art.
He added that other art school studen-
ts have expressed similar concerns.
Van Houweling responded that
sculptors today find computers
necessary for designing their work.
Art school officials, he said, have
proven "extraordinarily en-
See MSA, Page 3

Daily Photo by DARRIAN SMITH
Douglas Van Houweling, right, University vice provost for information technology, defends the University's
mandatory computer fee to members of the Michigan Student Assembly at last night's MSA meeting.

RFK 's son to enter House race

I

BOSTON (UPI) - Joseph Kennedy,
*he son of the late Sen. Robert Ken-
nedy, will run for the seat of retiring
House Speaker Thomas O'Neill,
Massachusetts Democratic leaders
said yesterday.
Kennedy, considered the favorite in
a crowded field of candidates, was
expected to make a formal announ-
cement today, although key
Democrats said he had already con-
firmed his intentions in private con-
versations with them.
O'NEILL, who announced he would
not run again more than two years
ago, said Kennedy visited him Satur-
day and indicated he would probably
run.
Kennedy was unavailable for co--
mment, but an aide said Kennedy will
hold a news conference today to an-
nounce a decision.

"Joe Kennedy will make an an-
nouncement today. All I can tell you is
Joe has made a decision regarding his
future, and that's what he'll be
discussing," said Steven Rothstein.
ROTHSTEIN is executive
manager of the Citizen's Energy
Corp. of Boston, a non-profit company
Kennedy started in 1979 to provide
low-cost heating oil for the poor and
elderly.
O'Neill, 73, first elected in 1952
has not endorsed a candidate to suc-
ceed him.
The speaker described Kennedy as
"a very likeable, successful young
man" who would be "a strong can-
didate." But O'Neill said other
possible candidates also have suppor-
ted his positions and policies over the
years.

"FOR THE most part, I'll be
staying out of the contest," O'Neill
said.
"Joe is definitely running," Rep.
Chet Atkins (D-Mass.) the state
Democratic chairman said.
Atkins' assessment was backed up
by state rep. Mary Jane Gibson,
assistant Democratic leader of the
Massachusetts House, who said Ken-
nedy confirmed his intentions to her.
KENNEDY would have to move in-
to the district from his home in subur-
ban Marshfield to be eligible to run
and would face about a half-dozen
challengers, including several
veteran state legislators.
Speculation that Kennedy was poised
to enter the race prompted State Rep.
William Galvin to call for a $500,000
spending cap on the primary.

Others seeking the seat said a Ken-.
nedy candidacy would not surprise
them.
"I just hope the people of this
district care more about good ideas
than simply good names," said state
Sen. George Bachrach, who is also
running.
Also considering running is Boston
attorney James Roosevelt, grandson
of President Franklin Roosevelt.
The district includes the affluent
Back Bay and Beacon Hill sections of
Boston and the adjacent city of Cam-
bridge, where Harvard University
and the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology are located.

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R A offers
'U' residents
*hance for a
dream date

By MARC CARREL
Do you have trouble getting dates? Do you have
things to do on your weekends, but no one to do
them with? Well, the Residence Hall Association
may have a solution for you.
IN ORDER to create a campus-wide program to
pull together all of the University residence halls,
the RHA devised a computer dating service.
Yesterday and Monday, RHA representatives
sold the computer questionnaires for one dollar
outside dormitory cafeterias. Those residents
participating in the program answered 33
questions ranging from favorite musical groups
and actors to personal traits and attitudes:
"... You like a date who: (1) Laughs a lot and
enjoys life; (2) Is quiet, sensitive and understan-
ding; (3) Is intelligent, serious and perceptive; (4)
Is romantic, charming and mysterious... "
ONCE THE completed questionnaires are
collected, RHA will send them to an Ohio company

to be tabulated. After the semester break, par-
ticipants will receive a list in the mail of names,
phone numbers and "rates of compatability."
Jana Steiger, RHA National Communications
Coordinator, said that the idea for the program
came about in a brainstorming session when the
RHA was looking for "activities to increase our
credibility.
"In the past, because we are a new organization,
our involvement has been limited strictly to
allocating money to specific residence hall projec-
ts. Now, however, we want to focus on campus-
wide activities to pull all of the halls together,'and
increase our visibility."
THE Matchmaking program was originally set
to run just Monday and yesterday, but according
to Steiger, not all halls had representatives selling
questionnaires, due to problems arising from its
timing so close to Thanksgiving break.
Steiger said "we may have to extend it because
See RHA, Page 2

Cashediout Daily Photo by DEAN RANDAZZO
Dylan Goings relaxes on his mother's shoulder in front of the Union
yesterday while waiting for his father to pick them up. They were retur-
ning home from a trip to Florida.

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TODAY

results by the end of the week. This is the first year that
the two schools have competed in a food drive. Their
primary goal is to stir up interest in contributing food
to, be given to the Catholic Social Services in
Washtenaw county, which has a special fund for the
needy. Food will be distributed to all the needy,
regardless onf their religsiousqaffiiation T'Pafoodndrive

High over Disneyland
THE HOME OF Disneyland will honor the late Walt
Disney by releasing a record-breaking 1 million
helium balloons on what would have been his 84th bir-
thday Thursday. The balloon release is the city of

INSIDE-
CHERKASSY: Arts previews one of the last
great romantic pianists. See Page 7.
APARTHEID: Opinion Page talks to South

Business v. Law
VIM HIS WEEK, THE Business and Law Schools

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