Ninety-seven years of editorial freedom VOLUME XCVII - NO. 89 ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1987 COPYRIGHT 1987 THE MICHIGAN DAILY U' profs call P1KI ;IM Soviet reforms ice-breaking funding debated MSA won't seek By HAMPTON DELLINGER Soviet leader Mikhail Gor - lbachev's recent proposals to inject Russian politics with a dose of democracy are genuine and exciting, according to three University pol - itical science professors. The measures, which include such traditional Western ideas as multi-candidate elections and secret- balloting, were presented by Gorbachev to the Communist oParty's Central Committee last week. According to Prof. Matthew Evangelista, a Soviet politics ex - pert, Gorbachev's goal is to rid the party of corruption and com - placency, which resulted from officials never having to answer to anyone. "One way to make people more efficient is to make them 1accountable," Evangelista said. If approved, the changes would give Soviet citizens a choice in local and regional party elections. But if the party is unhappy with the elected candidate, he or she can be removed. In the battle between the party and democracy, "the party still rules," Evangelista said. Gorbachev's political reforms mirror dramatic initiatives in other areas of Soviet life that constitute an effort on his part to bring "glasnost" (openness) to the country. The Soviet leader has opened up Russia's closed economy to a de - gree, encouraging farmers to cultivate private plots and allowing citizens to produce goods at home for sale at whatever price the market will pay. Prof. Alfred Meyer credits Gorbachev with "recognizing that the system is in many ways economically irrational and deeply corrupt." Gorbachev's attempt to reform Soviet society began with the economy, but did not end there. "There has been a very massive breaking of the ice going on in many fields," according to Meyer. This has included an easing of press and television restrictions by the party (anti-Russian riots in the city of Alma-Ata were recently shown on television), and a relaxation of film censoring and books ("Doctor Zhivago" will finally be published this year). See PROFS, Page 2 Pollack speaks Daily Photo by DANA MENDELSSOHN State Sen. Lana Pollack spoke last night to members of the Un- dergraduate Political Science Association at Lorch Hall. Pollack, one of the two women in the Michigan Senate, spoke about her responsibilities as a political figure, and addressed issues such as abortion and Univer- sity funding. Regets' By MARTHA SEVETSON The Michigan Student Assembly last night voted down a proposal by President Kurt Muenchow to promote a March ballot referendum on the funding of the Public Interest Research Group in Michigan. The proposal, one of two opposing plans for the funding process, would have let students decide if MSA should fund PIRGIM through a "refundable fee system" using the Student Verification Form. The proposal would have endorsed placing responsibility for funding on the University's Board of Regents. At press time, the assembly had not voted on the second proposal, drafted by PIRGIM members and assembly members and LSA juniors Ed Kraus and Rebecca Felton. This resolution, if passed, will support a ballot referendum asking students if they want PIRGIM funded through MSA. Muenchow said he was "dis - appointed to see the assembly refuse to reaffirm what 16,800 students called for in a petition," referring to a PIRGIM petition drive conducted last year. This petition was presented to the Board of Regents in November as evidence of student interest in PIRGIM, but the regents indicated that the petition drive would not obligate them to support the group. Instead, according to PIRGIM members, the regents advised the group to appeal to MSA. PIRGIM member Wendy Seiden said the defeat of the first proposal indicated MSA support of PIRGIM. support "I think it shows that students want to work to save PIRGIM on campus," she said. Seiden could not predict the outcome of the second vote. Muenchow has disputed MSA's responsibility to fund PIRGIM since the idea was proposed by the regents. "There are too many administrative problems with organizing the fees and MSA, aside from the questions of the role of student government and the role of a PIRG," he said. Muenchow maintained PIRGIM should appeal to the regents for funding, saying, "the regents did not publicly say 'no.' It was two and a half weeks before the elections - they knew it would not help them in the elections to deal with this issue. Other assembly members said the regents had already indicated that they definitely opposed funding PIRGIM. Assembly member and Rackham student Mojahid David cited a statement made by Regent James Waters (D-Muskegon) in November, "For all practical purposes it's clear that the majority of the regents do not support a refusable fee." Students may- vote on either of the ballot referenda in March if it receives the required 1,000 student signatures, whether or not it is endorsed by MSA. PIRGIM Chair Andrew Swenson said the group is seeking MSA's support because "we want to know what MSA concerns are and make a proposal that will help MSA and PIRGIM to cooperate." Program helps kids cope with divorce By TIM OMARZU we studied blame themselves for the divorce," are more vulnerable than older children Divorce is hard for all involved, so the said Kalter. have support groups among their friends. University has a program to help young "But if they're in a group...and one of them children are likely to get angry or bitter aft children who are often hardest hit. says 'I think I caused my parents divorce,' the divorce. The program, called Support Groups for others can say, I don't think you caused your "Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth grade boys Children, is run by Psychology Prof. Neil parents divorce', and of course, that helps," he often fight and-not do well academically.. Kalter, co-director of the University's divorce said. have quieter kinds of problems. The who Older ter the s will girls y get clinic. In the support group, elementary school children of divorced parents take a special class one hour a week for 8 weeks. They share their problems with a psychologist and other children of divorce from the same grade. The group therapy program helps children stop blaming themselves. "Almost three-quarters of the six-year-olds Many parents fail to talk to their two- and three-year-old children about divorce, Kalter said. "By the time they're five or six, one-third of the kids are having trouble, and the other two-thirds are wrestling with these issues in their heads." Younger children are likely to think that something they did caused the divorce and are more likely to be depressed or subdued. They depressed and socially isolated," Kalter said. Either way of coping can alienate children from their peers. But talking with peers whose parents are divorced helps children form suppotive friendships. The support group helps children com - municate with their parents as well as their peers. See PROF, Page 5 MSA leader encourages student involvement By MARTHA SEVETSON She is comfortable wearing ripped Levis and a leather wrist band, in contrast to the affluent New York childhood of this bright- eyed student leader. Framed by a red Profile bulletin board advertising "Sexual Assault Awareness Days" and "Safewalk," Hillary Farber tapped a pencil on her "very own desk with her own phone," and smiled. She recalled her campaign to join the Michigan Student Assembly. "I wanted to be involved - total," she explained. "I'm really interested in a lot of issues that go on in the community; I've been that way wherever I've lived." Farber, an LSA junior, became interested in MSA during her sophomore year when anti-Semitic and racist graffiti was an issue on campus. Today, she is chair of the assembly's Women's Issues Com - mittee. "I wanted to know what kinds of things I could do on campus," she said. When she went back to Manhattan during vacation, she spoke with the President of the National Council for Christians and Jews. Armed with the "ammunition" she gathered, Farber returned to Ann Arbor expecting to propose a new committee. To her surprise, the assembly had already formed the United Community Against Racism (UCARE) in December 1985. "UCARE involved about seven people trying to deal with projects that were going to address these attacks," Farber recalled, leaning back in her chair. "I wasn't a real stellar member, but what I saw of UCARE was a lot of people really committed, and that was something I wanted to see more of." "At MSA, people were really gung-ho," she continued. "I saw energy in this place, and I wanted to be a part of that." Farber became an official part of MSA after last March's elections. She was elected chair of the Women's Issues Committee in April, replacing former chair Debra Kohnstamm. Farber glanced at program ad - vertisements wallpapering the MSA See STUDENT, Page 2 INSIDE Opponents should not trash the Coalition for Democracy in Latin America's newsletter. OPINIONI PAGE 4 Laissez le bantemps rolle! Queen Ida and her zydeco band are in town. ARTS, PAGE 7' A young salt explains why Daily Photo by SCOTT LITUCHY Hillary Farber, chairperson of MSA's Women's Issues Committee, became involved in campus organizations during her first year at the University. Protest committee, formed by Greeks Filipino journalist , Mdiscusses revolution By STEVEN TUCH A Greek activist organization will be one of thirteen groups participating in tomorrow's rally on the Diag protesting nuclear weapon testing. Greeks For Peace is a recently- formed rnunn of "sorority and would mobilize Greeks when they met at the state Democratic Convention. Greeks For Peace is a non- partisan, multi-issue group that hopes to deal with topics such as nuclear disarmament, sexism, racism, and other topics that might By DAVID WEBSTER During the 15 years Severino Arcones worked as a radio journalist in the Philippines, he survived threats on his life by government and military officials, accepted bribes from former President Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda, and was accused of libel Journalists Fellowships at the University. He hopes to use the radio and television production skills he has sharpened here to improve the techniques and stan - dards of journalism practiced in the Philippines. Arcones plans on returning to the Philippines as soon as his fellowship ends in May. I -: