4 Page 2 - The Michigan Dily - Monday, February 17, 1986 Norris criticizes MSA (Continued from Page 1) administrate minority services more effectively and equally. NORRIS'S opposition to the report and his refusal to work for its recom- mendations is one reason steering committee members feel Norris has neglected his duties as committee chair, Josephson said. "Norris was appointed to try to im- plement the recommendations in Roderick Linzie's report. But he has opposed most of those efforts," Josephson said. Norris declined to comment yester- day, but wrote in his letter to the steering committee: "EVEN THOUGH I am an officer of MSA, I have felt closer and more responsible to, and more a represen- tative of, the 1600 Black UM students and the other 1600 other minority students." "I encourage all of my black brothers and friends at UM to secure our MSA funds so that we can put it to better use for ourselves," Norris wrote. Students pay a mandatory $5.07 each term to MSA at the same time they pay tuition. Neither Marvin Woods, president of the Black Student Union, nor James Latham, president of the black fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha were available for comment on Norris's proposal. THE ASSEMBLY is also questioning Norris's fulfillment of his duties, Josephson said, because of complaints from other minority leaders that Norris has not pushed minority interests except those of blacks. Norris did not respond to those charges in his letter. On the charge of working for Sudarkasa, Norris wrote that his duties with her office "is quite none of your business. If I thought my duties were harmful to black students or just to me, I would not carry them out." JOSEPHSON compared Norris' dual jobs to a situation "where if (University President Harold) Shapiro was cutting me a check of $75 a week, I don't think students would be satisfied that I'm representing them about the code." On the third issue of threatening Bullard in her office, Norris respon- ded that Bullard had violated his rights as a University student. Bullard learned of Norris's job with Sudarkasa when she found a timecard in Norris's bookbag. Bullard said the bag had been left in MSA's office, and she was merely trying to identify it. "I could not believe that Ms. Bullard went through my personal belongings. Moreover, I could not believe that she scandalized the con- tents of my bag," Norris wrote. NORRIS, though, has apologized for allegedly threatening Bullard for her discovery. But he added he felt the charges against him were, in part, race- related. Cross Country "' oto 0y CHRISI Grad student Rick Blake enjoys a ski through the Arb. Citizens Trust invites you to earn .- Speaker: Thursday, February 20, 1986 IN, BRIEF COMPILED FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS AND UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL REPORTS Russian luxury liner sinks WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A Soviet luxury liner with more than 700 people aboard slammed into rocks and sank yesterday off New Zealand's South Island. Twenty crew members were feared drowned and as many as 70 people were missing. The 20,000-ton Mikhail Lermontov was cruising through the fiord-like area between Tasman Bay and the Cook Strait when it struck the rocks and sank 25 miles northwest of Wellington at 6 p.m. The Soviet vessel - carrying an estimated 400 passengers, most of them elderly Australians - was split open by the impact and water crashed into the engine room, shutting down both engines. New Zealand navy Capt. Brian Perry said it was believed 20 members of the ship's 340-person crew - 330 Soviets and 10 Australians - went down with the vessel. The vessel's Russian captain ignored the pleas of a New Zealand pilot to immediately abandon ship and allowed the liner to drift for several hours in 20-knot winds and heavy rain in an attempt to beach it, officials said. Tylenol makers offer reward WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - The makers of Extra-Strength Tylenol said the appearance of deadly cyanide in the popular pain capsules was "an act of terrorism, pure and simple," and offered a $100,000 reward for in- formation leading to an arrest. A prosecutor said it was possible that the capsules were tainted in a company plant. Meanwhile, nine states and the District of Columbia joined New York in banning the sale of Tylenol capsules. Officials in Colorado, North Carolina, Kansas and Georgia asked retailers to pull the capsules from their shelves voluntarily. Johnson & Johnson and the FDA have called on all consumers nation- wide not to use the capsules. Supermarket and drugstore chains removed the capsules from thousands of stores nationwide. "The investigation has not produced any suspects as yet," FBI spokesman Jack French said Friday night as U.S. Food and Drug Ad- ministraiton officials went through bottle after bottle of Tylenol capsules searching for additional evidence of cyanide. Portuguese to choose first elected pres. in 60 years LISBON, Portugal - Early turnout was light yesterday among Por- tugal's 7.6 million registered voters casting ballots to choose the nation's first elected civilian president in 60 years. In the running were three-time former Prime Minister Mario Soares, leader of the moderate Socialist Party, and Diogo Freitas do Amaral, founder of the right-wing Christian Democrats and a former deputy prime minister. The runoff election was Portugal's fourth nationwide poll in as m'any months and its 14th since returning to representative government 12 years ago. The winner will become the first civilian head of state since President Bernardino Machado resigned after a military coup in 1926 that initiated 48 years of right-wing dictatorship. Declining oil prices may help bolster lagging U.S. economy WASHINGTON - The U.S. economy, bolstered by falling oil prices, should enjoy significantly better growth this year than in 1985, many economists now believe. The new optimism represents a sharp turnaround from expectations little more than a month ago. At that time, many analysts felt the economy would muddle through the new year much as it did last year, with sluggish growth and a stagnant unemployment level. However, plunging world oil prices have altered that view. In the last month, oil prices on the spot market have fallen by one-third, dropping from $25 per barrel to around $17 per barrel. Such a precipitous decline could spell trouble for countries such as Mexico, which depend on oil revenues to finance their heavy debt, but it is likely to be good news for most Americans. The beneficial impact of falling oil prices will be felt in two ways, economists believe. U.S. output will rise because consumers and businesses will have more to spend on other items, since their oil bills will be less, and inflation in this country will be lower. Medicare rule denies benefits WASHINGTON - For every dollar the government pays health in- surance companies to process Medicare claims, the Reagan ad- ministration expects them to deny at least $5 in benefits, according to federal regulations. The obscure rule for evaluating the performance of insurance com- panies hired by the Health Care Financing Admnistration is cited by critics as evidence the administration is trying to make it harder for elderly people to get Medicare to pay for post-hospital care. The regulation, which was formally adopted in 1982 and has been up- dated several times since, was detailed in a letter last summer to Chair- man Edward R. Roybal, (D-Calif.), of the House Select Committee on Aging from Lawrence J. DeNardis, acting assistant secretary of health and human resources. "Both medical review and audit are critical elements," DeNardis wrote of the cost-benefit ratio. "Failure to succeed in these elements could lead to various contract actions, including termination." No insurance company's contract has been canceled for failure to return $5 in savings for every dollar it earns. But critics contend that companies getting the lucrative audit contracts feel pressure to deny benefits with little regard to the merits of claims. SheM Sichigan Bai1I Vol XCVI -No.97 The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967 X) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms. Subscription rates: September through April-$18 in Ann Arbor; $35 outside the city. One term-$10 in town; $20 outside the city. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and subscribes to United Press International, Pacific News Service, Los Angeles Times I A A A 14 Dr. Evan M. Maurer Director, Museum of Art University of Michigan "Business and the Arts: New Trends in an Old Relationship" 12 Noon Campus Inn (Huron and State) Tickets-$6.00 (Lunch Included) Reservations Required call 994-5555, Ext. 213 CitizensTrust 14 A 41 $9 9"~ ""s= + Th" ~~ -j.rZ Syndicate, and College Press Service. Editor in Chief .............. ERIC MATTSON Managing Editor......... RACHEL GOTTLIEB News Editor ............... JERRY MARKON Features Editor ............ CHRISTY RIEDEL NEWS STAFF: Eve Becker, Melissa Birks, Laura Bischoff, Rebecca Blumenstein, Marc Carrel, Doa Cohen. Laura Coughlin, Tim Daly, Nancy Driscoll, Rob Earle. Amy Goldstein, Susan Grant. Stephen Gregory, Steve Herz, Linda Holler, Mary Chris Jaklevic, Philip Levy, Michael Lustig, Amy Mindell, Caroline Muller, Kery Murakami, Jill Oserowsky, Joe Pigott, Kurt Serbus, Martha Sevet- son, Cheryl Wistrom, Jackie Young. Opinion Page Editor...........KAREN KLEIN Associate Opinion Page Editor ... HENRY PARK OPINION PAGE STAFF: Gayle Kirshenbaum, Peter Ephross, David Lewis, Peter Mooney, Susanne Skubik. Arts Editor ................ HOBEY ECHLIN Sports Editor ................BARB McQUADE Associate Sports Editors .......DAVE ARETHA, MARK BOROWSKY, RICK KAPLAN, ADAM MARTIN, PHIL NUSSEL. SPORTS STAFF: Emily Bridgham, Debbie deFrances, Liam Flaherty, Jon Hartmann, Darren Jasey, Christian Martin, Scott Miller, Greg Molzon, Jerry Muth, Adam Ochlis, Duane Roose, Jeff Rush, Adam Schefter, Scott Shaffer, Pete Steinert, Douglas Volan. Business Manager .......DAWN WILLACKER Display Sales Manger...CYNTHIA NIXON Assistant Sales Manager . . KATHLEEN O'BRIEN Classified Manager ......GAYLABROCKMAN Finance Manager..........MIKE BAUGHMAN Marketing Manager........... JAKE GAGNON 14 This Spring Break, if you and your friends are thinking about heading to the slopes, the then be good for travel for 15 days from the date of purchase. a