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Lit itan
Ninety-six years of editorial freedom
43 tti
Vol. XCVI -Qlo. 130
Copyright 1986, The Michigan Daily
Ann Arbor, Michigan - Thursday, April 10, 1986
Eight Pages
Repor
By REBECCA BLUMENSTEIN
University admissions officials ex-
pressed mixed reactions yesterday to
a state report that describes minority
college enrollments in Michigan as a
"grave problem."
The report - written by a special
advisory committee appointed by
State Superintendent Philip Runkel
and chaired by Niara Sudarkasa,
University associate vice president
for academic affairs - contends that
although enrollment of Asian-
American students has risen in the
cites minority
enrollment plight
past 10 years, enrollment of blacks,
Hispanics, and Native Americans has
declined.
OVERALL, the report said, the
drop in minority enrollment is
primarily due to a decline in black
enrollment. It noted drastic declines
in black enrollment at two of the
state's major research universities
since they peaked in the mid-1970s - a
drop of 34 percent at the University of
Michigan and a drop of 32 percent at
Wayne State University.
Although the results of the report
are pessimistic, David Robinson,
assistant director of admissions, was
glad to see it. "It exposes the key of
the problem. So many minorities want
to come here, but they simply can't
afford it," he said.
"This institution doesn't have the
reputation of wanting to really help
minority students to come here. I'm
hoping that this will make us increase
our efforts," he added.
UNIVERSITY Director of Ad-
missions Cliff Sjogren doesn't see the
University as a school that has the
same problems as other state univer-
sities. "Last year we had an increase
in our new black enrollment, and our
efforts to actively recruit have in-
creased over the last three years," he
said.
Sudarkasa and Virginia Nordby, the
head of affirmative action office were
unavailable for comment.
The committee cited back-to-back
recessions, big tuition increases at a
time of declining federal aid, the
inability of many minority graduates
to get jobs, and a decline in the quality
of education at the elementary and
secondary levels for the problem.
. "ALL OF these changes occurred in
a climate characterized by a
marked rise in the overt and covert
attacks on affirmative action as a
remedy to past discrimination," said
the 55-page report.
The report noted a decline in the
"already infinitessimal numbers" of
American Indian students, while
there were slight increases in the
number of Hispanic students.
However, the report said Hispanics
accounted for only 1.1 percent of the
college enrollment and dropped 6.8
percent between 1980 and 1984.
The report noted that even as the
number of minority college students
dropped, the percentage of minorities
graduating from high school in-
creased over the same time period.
Among the report's recommen-
dations for change was the establish-
ment of a pilot program that would in-
clude three "clusters" consisting of
high schools, community colleges,
four-year collegesand a research
university to develop ways of in-
See STATE, Page 2
i
Commission
proposes
new LSA
courses
By NANCY DRISCOLL
A proposal to create a series of courses for LSA fresh-
men and sophomores that would focus on critical thinking
and analysis may be implemented by the fall of 1987.
The new courses are a central part of the recommen-
dations that will be made by the Blue Ribbon Commission
this month on the future of LSA.
THE EIGHT-MEMBER Blue Ribbon Commission was
set up in 1983 by the college's executive committee to
evaluate LSA's curriculum and recruitment practices in
light of the declining number of high school graduates
nationwide.
Improving the quality of undergraduate education is
one way to deal with the increasing competition for a
smaller number of students, according to Prof. Herbert
Eagle, a member of the commission.
The courses that would be offered by the program,
called SKILL (Skill and Knowledge In Lifetime Learning)
would be interdisciplinary and "stress the kinds of skills;
involved in learning and research," said Eagle.
EAGLE HOPES LSA can eventually offer students a
choice of 20 SKILL courses, including a humanities course
on the knowledge and power of words and a history course
"built on conflicting interpretations of historical events,"
said Eagle.
The courses would give students more direct contact
with professors. Although they would not be required
courses, they would be strongly recommended, according
See 'U%' Page 2
A devoted fan
Russ Hyatt of Tecumseh, Mich., enjoys the Michigan-University of Detroit baseball
game yesterday at Ray Fisher Stadium despite the 30 degree temperature. Hyatt
doesn't take a long vacation during the baseball season, but rather divides his
vacation into half days, just so he can see Michigan play ball. Hyatt plans on following
the team to Purdue this week-end.1
I
UCARe
Reagan refuses to 'hold still';
'Campus group tackles
racism on campus
seeks Libyan li
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Reagan said yester-
day he is "not going to just sit here and hold still" amid
mounting threats against Americans and said he suspects
Libyan leader Moammar Khadafy is behind surging
terrorism.
At a nationally broadcast news conference, Reagan
called Khadafy the "mad dog of the Middle East."
REAGAN said his administration was still seeking suf-
ficient evidence to link Khadafy to fatal bombings aboard a
TWA airliner and in a West Berlin nightclub. "We're
gathering evidence as fast as we can," he said.
Earlier yesterday, Reagan told newspaper editors he
was seeking support from U.S. allies for appropriate ac-
tion "in view of the greater threats that are being ut-
tered."
Vice President George Bush, talking to sailors aboard
the USS Enterprise in the Gulf of Oman, had called the
Libyan strongman "a mad dog."
nk to terrorism
DURING his evening news conference, Reagan said,
"we have considerable evidence over quite a long period
of time that Khadafy has been quite outspoken in his par-
ticipation and sponsoring terrorist acts."
But asked whether he was ready to announce military
action in retaliation, Reagan said: "We are not ready yet
to speak on that. Any action we might take would be
dependent on what we learn and I can't go any further."
The Pentagon said yesterday the Navy has taken steps
to prepare a two-carrier battle group, including an in-
definite extension of the carrier Coral Sea's deployment,
if Reagan decides to order a military strike against Libya.
On the issue of possible retaliation, Reagan said: "This
is a question that is like talking about battle plans or
something. If and when we could specifically identify
someone as responsible for these acts, we would respond.
So this is-what we are trying to do - to find out who's
responsible."
By REBECCA BLUMENSTEIN
The United Community Against
Racism formally launched its cam-
paign to eradicate racist graffiti on
campus yesterday as more than 100
people gathered on the Diag to show
that they would not tolerate racist at-
tacks at the University.
UCARe plans to follow up on
yesterday's rally this Sunday by
cleaning up the graffiti in the Graduate
Library, where some of the most
virulent racist attacks have occurred.
"The washout is not going to wash out
racist attitudes, but it is going to
make people confront them," said
LSA senior Leslie Mitchell a member
of UCARe.
SCOTT WONG,a graduate student
whose carrel in the Graduate Library
was defaced with racist graffiti last
term, told the crowd that "real
equality is a dream that only we can
make into reality."
Six speakers in all addressed the
crowd.
Vice President for Student Services
SHenry Johnson, the head of the
recently appointed Presidential Task
Force on Racism, said, "As people of
different origins, we need to address
our racist attitudes from our homes
and where we came from. I hope that
we come back in September with the
desire to get involved with causes
such as UCARe."
UCARe was formed last year after
vandals defaced two predominantly
Jewish Greek houses with anti-
Semitic graffiti. The group, whose
members come from a broad spec-
trum of organizations, hopes to
educate the University community
about the seriousness of racism on
campus. "We want to make this an in-
stitution of higher learning in all
respects," said LSA senior Howard
Jacobson, a co-chairman of UCARe.
"GRAFFITI is a cowardly act of
those who are ashamed to say what
they think," said Michael Brooks,
director of the B'nai B'rith Hillel
Foundation.
Other speakers urged the crowd to
take concrete action to fight racism.
See UCARe, Page 2
Reagan
...responds to threats
'U' students to lobby Lansing lawmakers
By AMY MINDELL
Twelve University students will
converge in Lansing today as part of
the Michigan Collegiate Coalition to
lobby state legislators.
During the annual Student Lobby
Day, the students - mostly former or
current Michigan Student Assembly
members - will try to convince
legislators to meet the University's
financial needs, maintain financial
aid for students, and improve student
safety on campus.
THIS INCLUDES appropriating
funds for rape prevention initiatives
and supporting a bill that would
require any code of non-academic
conduct to provide due process, said
Steve Heyman, chairman of MSA's
Legislative Relations committee.
The lobby day comes as state
senators close in on exact ap-
propriations for higher education.
University officials are unsure if
Senate recommendations will meet
their requests, and they foresee a
tight University budget next year and
hefty tuition increases for all students
in the fall if the requests are not met.
Gov. James Blanchard recommen-
ded a $12.2 million state funding in-
crease for the University next fall,
falling $23 million short of the Univer-
sity's request, which University of-
ficials say is the bare minimum
needed to meet rising costs and main-
tain the quality level. The legislature
is not expected to greatly add to the
governor's proposals.
"THERE IS a large gap between
what the governor has recommended
and what we'll need," said Billy Frye,
the University's vice president for
academic affairs and provost. He ad-
ded that tuition increases should be
less than 10 percent.
Blanchard is asking state schools to
keep tuition increases. for Michigan
residents below the 5 percent inflation
level, said Lynn Schaffer, the state's
associate budget director.
For the past two years Blanchard
successfully pressured state schools
to freeze in-state tuition.
See OFFICIALS, Page 2
Super spuds
of 14 "Cold" toppings that include chop-
ped turkey and ham, hard boiled eggs,
and sunflower seeds, in addition to
traditional cheese and vegetables. Ser-
ved as hot items are chili, seafood
newburg, and chicken a la king. "People
want a hot potato...they want steam
when they open it up, toppings that are
The potato proved to be tasty, flavorful,
and very hot, and greatly enhanced by
the hot toppings. But the consultant
reported that things were not always so
blissful in the Union's kitchens. "At first
they really blew it," he said. "The first
potatoes came out cold and hard, like lit-
tle charcoal briquets...totally black.
INSIDE-
SEXUAL PRIVACY: Opinion calls for recognition
of fundamental rights. See Page 4.
SOULSONIC: Arts tdks with Afrika Bmnbataa.
See Page 5.
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