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Ninety-eight years of editorialfreedom
Vol. XCVIII, No. 94 Ann Arbor, Michigan - Monday, February 15, 1988 Copyright 1988, The Michigan Daily

Minority high schoolers

get inside story on

'U

By JIM PONIEWOZIK
For any high school student, choosing a
college can be scary, confusing, and filled
with questions. And for minority students,
at a time when reports of racism on college
campuses have flooded the national media,
those questions are often more serious than
"How's the food?"
But through the University's Office of
Admissions' Ambassador Program, these
students now have a chance to address their
questions to experts - actual University
students.
The program, founded three years ago
under the direction of Admissions
Counselor James VanHecke, was designed
to bolster the University's minority

recruitment efforts.
STUDENT volunteers in the program,
called Ambassadors, contact prospective
students in person and by phone, answer
their questions, and emphasize positive
aspects of the University. Currently, over
130 students are in the program.
"We want to counteract the (media)
publicity, which is sometimes biased
toward overpublicizing racism on campus,"
VanHecke said.
The program is divided into four parts: a
high school visitation program in which
students return to their former schools to
talk to minorities and answer questions;
campus tours; the "Each One Reach One"
program in which Ambassadors recommend

prospective students to the Admissions
Office; and the Phone Call-Out.
Ambassadors can participate in any or all
of the programs.
IN THE PHONE Call-Out,
Ambassadors telephone each minority
student who has been accepted by the
University for the following fall term to
remind them to send in their enrollment
deposits and to ask if they have any
questions about the University.
Last year's Call-Out reached over 500 of
the over 600 minority students accepted by
the University, VanHecke said.
Ambassadors are not told what to say to
the potential recruits, VanHecke said. "We
just tell them to be very honest and have it

come from their own hearts," he said.
Students who participated in the
program last year said the high school
students' concerns ranged from the average
workload in courses to the racial
atmosphere on campus.
LSA SENIOR Jeffrey Kuvin said the
high school students asked "a lot of basic
questions that any student would ask." But,
he said, "last spring, racism on campus
was getting a lot of attention, and the
students wanted to know a student
perspective on the situation."
Kuvin said last year's protests may have
also had a positive effect on minorities
considering the University because "it
shows that the issue's being brought up,

that the students have a voice and that they
care."
First-year LSA student Robin Black
said she recently signed up to be an
Ambassador because she wanted to help
prospective students who are worried
around racism, which she believes is "the
number one concern" of minority students
looking at colleges.
As a Black high school senior in
Chicago last year, Black said she was
nervous about attending the University
after hearing about last spring's racial
unrest.

"IT
lynching

SOUNDED like they were
Blacks up there," she said.

I


M' halts
Hoosiers'
winning
streak
By ADAM SCHEFTER
For Valentines Day, the Michi-
gan basketball team could have
pleased Bill Frieder with just a
Hallmark card.
A bouquet of roses would also
have been an extremely generous
gift. And a box of chocolates
certainly would have sufficed and
been a tasty treat for the head coach.
But nothing could have been sweeter
than to beat Bobby Knight two
times in one.-year.
Saturday, Michigan wrapped up
their 92-72 romp over the Indiana
Hoosiers with a big ribbon to com-
plete the season sweep. Behind Gary
Grant, Glen Rice, and the rest of
Frieder's sweethearts, the Wolverines
put an abrupt halt to the Hoosiers
five-game winning streak and raised
their own record to 20-4.
"Our kids did a great job," Frieder
said. "We played very good basket-
ball for the first twelve minutes. We
did a much better job of sustaining
good team defense in the second half.
And our bench was very good."
WHAT FRIEDER failed to
mention was his team's red-hot
shooting in the second half. The
Wolverines shot 21-of-28 from the
field for 75 percent, hitting 15
straight shots at one point.
Leading the onslaught was Gary
Grant, Michigan fans' Cupid, who
had a typical Saturday afternoon. The
senior scored 24 points, tossed out
nine assists, grabbed seven rebounds,
and snatched three steals.
In addition, he mistook Crisler
Arena for the Nectarine Ballroom af-
ter he threw a length of the court
pass to Glen Rice. the two started
dancing after Rice jammed the ball at
the other end. With the lead widened
to 63-48, Grant showed the fans his
best move of the day, break-dancing
right in front of Bob Knight.

Racist'

acts

at

U.

Mass.

spark sit-in

AMHERST, Mass. - Black,
Hispanic, American Indian and Asian
students occupying a University of
Massachusetts building for the third
day said yesterday a church had
pledged $5,000 and restaurants had
donated hot meals.
"We haven't even had to leave the
building to buy food," said R io
Gabriel, a junior from Toronto. .
The estimated 125 demonstrators
have held the New Africa Hall on the
UMass campus since Friday to
protest an attack on two Black stu-
dents allegedly beaten by whites and
other recent incidents at the school.
Protesters said they would occupy
the four-story brick building until
Chancellor Joseph Duffey met de-
mands including the suspension of
five white students accused of the
Feb. 7 beatings.
Group leaders talked with Black
administrators yesterday in prepara-
tion for a meeting with the chancel-
lor on their demands, which were be-
ing revised to include more funds for
minority activities and increased
hiring of minority faculty, she said.
Only 41 of the 1,339 faculty
members and 5 percent of the 20,000
undergraduates are Black, mirroring a
nationwide decline in the number of

Black applicants in the last several
years, according to the school.
Blacks at the university say an
undercurrent of racism has not abated
since October 1986, when Blacks and
whitesclashed following the.Boston
Red Sox loss to the New York Mets
in the final game of the World
Series. Six white students eventually
pleaded no contest to varying
charges.
Duffey has acknowledged that
racism continues to be a problem at
the school. "I think -we've got a con-
tinuing problem with harassment and
abuse," the chancellor said.
Duffey was trying to avoid a con-
frontation with protesters when
school resumes tomorrow, university
spokesperson James Langley said.
"We're being as patient as we
possibly can," Langley said. "I don't
think you'll see any arrests. They are
being very peaceful."
"Hostility breeds hostility,"
Robinson said. "We're almost in the
1990s and racial hostility is still
happening. I"m sick of it."

LaGROC protests
anti-sodomy laws

Doily Photo by JOHN MUNSON
Terry Mills attempts a dunk in the first half of Saturday's 92-72 win over Indiana. The sophomore forward
missed the dunk, but finished with six points and eight rebounds in the game, helping the Wolverines to pull
within a half game of Big Ten-leading Purdue.

PIRGIM petitions to keep funds

By RYAN TUTAK
The Public Interest Research Group in
Michigan has countered a petition to end its
contract with the Michigan Student Assembly
with its own petition - asking students to
endorse the current refundable student fee of 75
cents.
Rackham graduate student and MSA rep.
Steve Angelotti and Business School junior Jon
Bhushan last month started to collect signatures
to end the refundable fee system. The petition

specifies that PIRGIM, like other student groups,
receive funding only through MSA's general
fund.
Currently, students are automatically assessed
the 75 cent fee during class registration. The fee
is not mandatory, however. A refund can be
obtained by filling out a form during registration
or at MS A's office during the term.
Both petition drives have collected more than
1,000 signatures, enough to appear as referenda
on MSA's March election ballot, if certified by

the assembly.
Under its constitution, MSA would b
required to adopt, as policy, the referendum tha
receives the highest number of positive vote
until the next general election in November.
If PIRGIM's petition wins, MSA wil
continue to fund the environmental lobbying
group with a refundable fee of at least 75 cents
Otherwise, PIRGIM will have to petition th
assembly for an allocation from its general fund.
See PIRGIM, Page 2

By JIM PONIEWOZIK
A University graduate and Ann
Arbor resident reported himself to
the Ann Arbor police for violating
Michigan's "gross-indecency" laws
following yesterday's Lesbian and
Gay Rights Organizing Committee
(LaGROC) sponsored rally to protest
the laws.
e LaGROC organized the rally, held
t at Liberty Plaza and attended by
s about 50 people, to demand the
repeal of sections of the Michigan
1 Penal Code that outlaw sodomy and
g acts of "gross indecency."
Charlie Van Boven said he
e reported himself to the police to
make the public aware of the
Michigan laws, under which oral and

anal sex and mutual masturbation are
punishable by up to fifteen years in
prison on a first offense. Repeat of-
fenders can receive up to life in
prison.
"The state's power to interfere in
our sex lives at that level is
obscene," Van Boven said.
Ann Arbor Police took a
statement from Van Boven, who
they released without filing charges
against him. Police Capt. Harold
Rady said the report will be turned
over to the detective bureau, who
will investigate whether there is
sufficient information to prosecute
him.
Van Boven said he did not believe
See GROUP, Page 5

CITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS

5th Wa
By PETER MOONEY
Fifth Ward Democrats will
choose their party's nominee today
in a city council primary contest
pitting Ethel Potts against Edward
Surovell. The two candidates are
vying for a seat vacated by
incuimbent TDorsPret'icn uwho has

ird Demo
several issues, including t h e
controversial rent control ballot
initiative. The proposal to limit rent
increases will appear on the general
election ballot if it survives a court
challenge from Citizens for Ann
Arbor's Future, a landlord group.
TR AlxnrA V tirn-nA1 - nnF~at. ,of

icrats square
even if the specific ordinance did not The rivals also
affect their interests. views on developme
"Many developers don't like rent year, Surovell has c
control. Period," Surovell said, Arbor Planning Co
"whether it's good, bad or many of the projects
indifferent." commission have b
His opponent, on the other hand, local neighborhood a

off

have differing
ant. For the past
chaired the Ann
mmission, and
accepted by the
een opposed by
activists.
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