Ninety-seven years of editorial freedom
VOLUME XCVII - NO. 132 ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - MONDAY, APRIL 13, 1987 COPYRIGHT 1987, THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Ed.
school
dept. faces
elimination
Women
''harass
mzen for
class
project
By HEATHER ROSE
A group of Introduction to
Women's Studies students took the
Diag by surprise Friday, carrying
signs and yelling at male passersby.
For their final project for
Women's Studies 240, the nine
women "wanted to make the point
that most women are not flattered
by catcalls," said LSA junior Julie
Abbatte, a member of the group.
"We find them threatening and
offensive," she said.
The students dressed themselves
to fit common stereotypes of
- women - from the bleach blonde
bubble head to the housewife with
her slippers, plastic baby, and
frying pan. According to Abbatte,
"we wanted to represent all women
to get across that women of all
types get this abuse from men, not
just cheap or good looking
women."I
Group members handed out
flyers, held signs reading "Nice
See WOMEN'S, Page 5
By SCOTT BOWLES
The Speech and Language
Pathology Division of the School
of Education may be phased out
next month unless the efforts of
students and faculty are successful.
The school's executive com-
mittee, which includes Dean Carl
Berger, voted in January to halt
admissions to the program, which
deals with ailments such as
stuttering and hearing disorders.
Since then, students, faculty, and
administrators have discussed ways
to save the department from
elimination. Berger said the exec-
utive committee will continue its
examination of the program until
April 17 and then decide its fate on
May 1.
Last Thursday and Friday,
students in the program held a
petition drive to drum up student
support.
First-year graduate student Lisa
Brady said the group gathered about
500 signatures. "We contribute a
lot to the profession of speech and
language pathology in terms of
training and research," she said.
"Getting student support says we
have a worthwhile progranm."
ACCORDING to instructors
and students, three area communi-
cation disorder clinics, one of which
offers treatment to the general
public, would be without clinicians
if theprogram-is eliminated.-
"We see clients from Detroit and
all over the community," said
Associate Prof. Holly Craig. "A
large number of those are children.
People seeking diagnostic services
come from all over the country."
"It would be comparable to
keeping a training hospital open
without a medical school," said
Associate Prof. Tanya Gallagher.
"The clinics are education research
facilities. If we do not have stu-
dents, it is clear to me we do not
have clinics."
GALLAGHER said alternative
therapy could be expensive. "From
what I hear, private treatment runs
anywhere between 40 and 60 dollars
an hour. We are considerably under
standard practice fees."
Gallagher said the executive
committee- has not heard the
concerns of those involved in the
program. "We have not had a great
opportunity to have an impact on
their thinking," she said.
"We have met once with the
committee and we responded to
their questions," said department
chair Kenneth Watkin. "It looks as
if Speech and Language Pathology
is the only department that's been
targeted. We were told that, the
program was not central to the
mission of the School of
Education."
First-year graduate student Laura
Schultz said, "We feel the executive
committee has already made up its
mind. The school has to make a
budget cut somewhere."
BER GER said the school has
had to concentrate on "traditional"
programs, such as training
educators specifically for schools -
See ED. Page 3
Daily Photo by SCOTT LITUCHY
Engineering juniors Michael Friedrichs and Len Warner submit to the harassment of LSA senior Leslie Sch-
wartz, LSA Julie Abbate, and first-year engineering student Katie Bretz as part of a group action project for
Women's Studies 240 on the Diag Friday.
Symposium
discusses
Blacks in
academics
By DAVID WEBSTER
A lack of commitment among public school
officials prevents Black students from receiving
equal educational opportunities in this country,
according to Dr. Albert Wheeler, University
professor emeritus of microbiology and immuno-
logy.
Wheeler was the keynote speaker at a symposium
on Black Americans in academics at the Union on
Friday. He was the first Black tenure track faculty
member at the University and became the first Black
mayor of Ann Arbor in 1975.
"Today, in those nice, integrated, uncommitted,
unconcerned schools the dropout rate for Black
students in some communities is 50 percent,"
Wheeler said. "It's a waste of human potential and,
in a sense, a waste of human life."
Wheeler and Dr. Linda Fisher, an associate
professor of biology and immunology at the
University of Michigan-Dearborn, agreed it is
important for young Blacks to adopt role models in
their pursuit of an education.
"It is extremely important for your professional
development to find someone who can relate to you
See PROFS, Page 5
Students
debate free
speech in
computer
conference
By DAVID WEBSTER
A debate over the propriety of a "bad jokes"
category in a computer conference has grown into a
broader discussion of freedom of expression and the
University's commitment to diversity.
Meet Students, part of the Michigan Terminal
System, is a medium through which students can
hold electronic conversations. One category in the
conference was designated for "disgusting, obscene"
jokes.
Late last month complaints were launched
against the item for promoting anti-social attitudes
such as sexism and homophobia, and an argument
arose over whether or not the item should be
allowed to continue. Some people called for the
University to intervene and discontinue the entire
conference.
However, University officials were reluctant to
intervene for the fear of practicing censorship. They
See MTS, Page 2
Daily Photo by LESLIE BOORSTEIN
Boxed in
A dog sporting a cardboard box walks outside the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority house yesterday.
New council may
face mayoral veto
Regents to vote on
research policy
INSIDE
By CARRIE LORANGER
Ann Arbor Mayor-elect Gerald
Jernigan said yesterday that "in all
likelihood" he will veto a resolu-
tion passed by the Ann Arbor City
Council last Thursday which calls
! for the hiring of a consultant for the
ci t , rn. r..itt er l,
Collins oversees the commission
and has recommended that the city
hire a "pre-consultant" to help
develop a proposal for new job
classifications and to monitor the
progress of the group.
On Thursday, the city council
vnter tn hire nre-cnnsultant in a
By STEVE KNOPPER
This week's Board of Regents
meeting may bring to a close
months of debate over the Univer-
sity's research guidelines, and pro-
ponents of the "end-use" clause are
making their final attempts to win
sunnnrt.
bly's Peace and Justice Committee
in early March, now has more than
600 student signatures. According
to MSA Military Research Advisor
Tamara Wagner, the petition drive
will be stepped up this week.
The Peace and Justice Com-
mittee and other groups opposed to
Regent Deane Baker has
historically opposed student and
minority rights.
OPINION, PAGE 4
Always innovative and bizarre,
guitarist Snakefinger will be
retuning to Ann Arbor tonight
with his band, The Vestal
Virgins.
ARTS, PAGE 8
The Michigan baseball team
I
I