The Michigan Daily-Thursday, March 3, 1988- Page 3
MSA rejects campus-wide vote on
Steiner
By ROSE MARY WUMMEL
The Michigan Student Assembly Tues-
day night voted not to ask students whether
4SA should work for the dismissal of
ISA Dean Peter Steiner for his remarks
rgarding Blacks and affirmative action.
The decision, following an hour of debate,
prevented the question from becoming a
referendum on the March election ballot.
Some representatives expressed fears
that a negative response to the question
could hinder similar efforts already under-
way by the United Coalition Against
Racism.
The specific wording of the question and
concern that students wouldn't be informed
enough about the issue to vote were also
discussed.
Graduate student Bruce Belcher, a non-
voting MSA member, said the question
should not be put on the ballot because
UCAR is already working to facilitate
Steiner's dismissal. He also said MSA
should not survey student attitudes toward
Steiner because many have not considered
the issue.
But engineering representative and
sophomore Dan Toboeman disagreed, "I
want to know what students think... I
don't want students to just rubberstamp my
opinion."
LSA representative and sophomore Jodi
Friend agreed, "I think it's really sad that
we wouldn't put it on the ballot because
students might not vote the way we want
them to."
Sarah Riordan, an LSA sophomore, said
MSA should get feedback from UCAR on
the resolution before voting on the issue.
But Bryan Case, a new LSA representa-
tive said feedback from the student body is
paramount. "We have yet to receive the
significant student (feedback) on this issue
and without we can't act in the interests of
the students," he said.
The resolution originally passed by the
slimmest majority possible,11 to 10 with
five abstentions. The vote was retaken as a
roll call vote and lost 16 to 11 with no ab-
stentions.
But many assembly members main-
tained that the constitution did not allow a
recall vote after the first results were an-
nounced.
Tobocman, reading from segments of
the constitution that left most representa-
tives bewildered and unclear over actual
MSA policy, said, "I believe the recall vote
was out of order."
But the resolution was recorded as de-
feated.
In other business, the assembly passed a
resolution condemning Interim University
President Robben Fleming's revised pro-
posal on discriminatory acts 21 to two
with three abstentions, almost the same
margin as the vote on the resolution blast-
ing Fleming's first draft.
The assembly also passed a resolution
pledging support for University employee
Nelson McEwan, who was allegedly
physically assaulted and racially harassed
by his supervisor, Jim Boyd in the Under-
graduate Library last month. In addition,
the resolution called for the firing of Boyd
and his co-supervisor, Tim Block.
Native American Week to
highlight education, culture
.~ e -
By JIM PONIEWOZIK
A series of cultural and informa-
tional activities focusing on Indian
education will highlight the March
"Native American Awareness" pro-
gram co-sponsored by the Native
American Student Association
(NASA) and Minority Student Ser-
vices.
Michael Dashner, Native Ameri-
can representative for Minority Stu-
dent Services, said the theme of edu-
cation is being tied in with the cul-
tural activities to show that Native
Americans do not have to sacrifice
their culture to get an education.
"It's OK to get educated and still
be an Indian," said Dashner. Many
Native Americans believe there is a
negative connotation to maintaining
ties to their cultural heritage and that
therefore they must sever those ties
in order to be successful at school
and at work, he said.
This attitude is held not only by
young Native Americans, but also
by the older generation, Dashner
said.
"PARENTS OF (Native
American college students) that are
cpming in now often feel that if you
want to be a success, you've got to
break away from the old culture,"
Iashner said. As .a result, he said,
"the best and the brightest go off to
cpllege, get assimilated (into the
cultural mainstream), get married,
aind that's it."
- NASA Vice President and LSA
senior Holly Powless agreed that
}young Native Americans feel pres-
sure to disassociate themselves from
their cultural roots.
Powless said Native American
students at the northern Michigan
high school she attended were iso-
lated and discriminated against. "It
was really cliquish, and (non-Native
American students) wouldn't talk to
you."
In keeping with the theme of
education, Powless said, Native
American students from Michigan
secondary schools will participate in
a College Day program on Friday,
Mar. 11, and will be invited to at-
tend the annual Pow Wow. The stu-
dents' activities were planned in
conjunction with the Michigan Edu-
cation Association.
POWLESS SAID this oppor-
tunity to visit the University may
help acquaint the students with Uni-
versity life, which is faster paced
than that in the rural communities
from which many Native Americans
come.
"It's really laid back (in the rural
communities)," said Powless. "On
the reservations, you hardly ever
even see anybody wearing a watch."
The difference between this lifestyle
and that at the University sometimes
intimidates the students, she said.
- Dashner said the events, open to
the public, are also intended to ex-
pose Native American University
students to a greater number of as-
pects of their culture than is nor-
mally possible in the Michigan area.
The state does not have as thriving a
Native American culture as other re-
gions, such as the Southwest, he
said.
Ninety-six Native American stu-
dents attend the University,
comprising four tenths of one per-
cent of the campus population.
MOST OF THE Native Amer-
ican Awareness program activities
will be centered around the 16th
Annual Ann Arbor regional Pow
Wow on March 12 and 13.
The Pow Wow, to be held at the
University Sports Coliseum at the
corner of Fifth Avenue and Hill
Street, is a cultural festival featuring
demonstrations of Native American
dance, songs, and crafts.
The Pow Wow will feature local
performers as well as performers and
artisans from Arizona, Florida, and
Canada. The activities will include
demonstrations of jewelry making,
basket weaving, sand painting,
lacrosse, Native American legends,
and storytelling.
Doily Photo by JOHN MUNSON
Feeding time
Two-and-a-half-year-old Annie Ganger refills the birdseed in the bird house in front of her house on McComb
Street. Her mother, Gail Sinclair, works as a cook at the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority house.
Robertson drops libel lawsuit
M " , I. !!: V t,,Irov,. :l , ~r70 i o i, .vo ! !i I, ,v , i v nV~ :, , ~m Im vv r 1
.i#ofNative
" Nativet American Critical Issues
Cnfeie, HIoliday Iran West., 1900
..Jakson Kcal:
M ,ar. 10 -Registration, dinneryn t p eh b r 'i -i n
.Mar. I1I -Conferenc(e sessions,
coner byJonne Sedo*
.ar.12.-- Clo~sinr unch
kyoespeech by Tom orer
-~College gYrogramHoliday
Iran .W ,2900 JIksonRoad:
.Mar.......Workshops on
preparing for college. 8:30 - 11I:45
a.m.; Campus tour, 1:00 .6:311p.m.
" Ainerican Indian Law Dlay,;
.oliay mm nWest, 2100 Jackson
Rod
Ma_ s1 -S ekes William
m
American Awareness program
Demmert, Alaska Commissioner of
Education and Earl Barlow, 1:00
5:00 p.m.:
Mar. 12-- Brunch with keynote
speech by Tom Porter, 9:30 - 11:00
-rArbon Pow Wow, Sports
Coliseum, corner of Fifth Ave. and
Hill St.:
Mar. 12 - 1:00 - 4:30 p.m. and
6:30 - 10:00 p.m.;
Mar. 13 -- 1:00 - 6:00 p.m.;
Admission: Adults $6/day, senior
citizens and children $3/day. Weekend
Pass $10. Group, student and family
-Concert by Joanne Shenandoah,
Sports Coliseum, corner of Fifth Ave.
And Hill St.:
WASHINGTON (AP) - Pat
Robertson wants to drop his libel
suit against a former congressmem-
ber who questioned his war record
because going to trial now would
"sacrifice his presidential campaign,"
his lawyer said yesterday. But
Robertson's accuser declared, "He's
chickening out of the trial just like
he chickened out 37 years ago."
Former Rep. Paul McCloskey
(R-Calif.), who has accused Robert-
son of using his father's political
influence to avoid combat duty in
the Korean War, has said in recent
Accused of chickening out'
weeks he wouldn't settle the suit
unless Robertson paid the costs,
which McCloskey estimates at
$400,000, of defending against the
suit.
The trial, set to begin on Tues-
day, when Robertson hopes to do
will in delegate-rich Southern pri-
maries, would force him off the
campaign trail for three weeks, at-
torney Douglas Rigler said.
In dropping the lawsuit;
"Robertson does not intend to back
away at any time from his denial of
the charges that Mr. McCloskey
made," Rigler said.
He said that "It is quite possible
that Mr. Robertson will be asked to
pay a substantial amount of court
costs" to cover the expenses of tak-
ing depositions from more than 50
witnesses.
ButRigler said he would likely
appeal any such decision by U.S.
District Judge Joyce Hens Green.
- - - - - --i1iY ' : "" > . ^ '. .. :
THEIST
What's happening in Ann Arbor today
PIRGIM may sue Detroit sewer dept.
Speakers
Debra Boyd-Buggs - can-
didate for a position of Assistant
Prof. in French and CAAS speaks
on "Islam & Traditional Region in
Senegalese Fiction," 4:10 p.m. in
the Fourth Floor Commons, MLB.
Jorge E. Silva - "Doing Ar-
chaeology on the Pacific Coast:
Taxi Cabs, Dogs, Skulls and An-
cient Remains in the Chillon River
Valley, Peru," brown bag lecture,
noon, 2009 Museums Building.
Geoffrey Ribbans - "Char-
acter and Structure in Galdo's
Fortunata and Jacinta: The Case of
Feijoo," 8:00 p.m. in Rackham
West Conference Rm.
Marja Brouwers - Dutch fe-
male writer speaks about "Femin-
ism and Literature," 8:00 p.m. in
The Interantional Center, 603 E.
Madison. For info. call 764-5370
and 994-9276. Admission is free.
Perry Bullard and Jeff Ep-
ton -- "The road to peace in the
Middle East" Their impressions
from a recent visit to the W e s t
Bank and Gaza. 7:30 p.m. in 120
Hutchins Hall, 625 South State
Street.
Meetings
United Coalition Against
Racism (UCAR) - Thursdays
at 6:00 p.m. in the Michigan
Union. Everyone is welcome.
Lesbians of Color C olle c-
corner of Hill and Fifth Streets.
Society of Women Engi-
neers - Exam raffle,. 6:30 p.m.
1200 E.E.C.S.
Furthermore
Paul Bunyan Ball - Dancing
to the music of the Sharon Hollow
String Band. Old-time lumberjack
contests. Sponsored by the Natural
Resources Club. 8:00 p.m.-mid-
night in the Union Ballroom.
$3.50/person, $6.00/couple.
Opportunities for Minority
Students on Becoming a
Professional - Workshop at
7:00-9:00 p.m. in the Trotter
House. Call 763-7037 for info.
Trumpeter Timothy White
- performs two concerts at noon
in the Pendleton Room of the
Michigan Union. Sponsored by the
School of .Music. Admission is
free.
Landscape Architecture Open House
- School of Natural Resources.
Call Bob Grese at 764-6453 for
info. -
Newman Night - Movie
Night in the lower chapel at St.
Mary's Church at Thomson and
Williams Streets, 7;00 p.m. Call
David Lehmkuhl for info. 763-
1735.
Computing Center Courses
- Call 763-7630 for more info.
UAC Soundstage - The
By DAVID SCHWARTZ
The Public Interest Research Group in Michi-
gan will sue the Detroit Water and Sewage De-
partment unless it releases documents detailing
pollution in the Detroit sewer system, two PIR-
GIM officials confirmed yesterday.
The Ann Arbor-based environmental group
has filed in court a notice of intent to sue the
sewage department, said Gary Kalman, PIR-
GIM's executive director. Kalman said the de-
partment has 60 days to turn over the documents
before PIRGIM will file a lawsuit.
Kalman said PIRGIM is entitled to see the
records under the Clean Water Act, but that the
department won't release all of the documents the
group wanted. "Now we're wondering what the
hell is in (those documents) that they're so sen-
sitive about," he said.
"IT IS VERY CLEAR that these are
public documents. We see no reason for the
courts to rule that we can't see them," Kalman
said. "We're asking for something that's incredi-
bly basic."
James Ridgway, assistant director of waste-
water operations at the Water and Sewage De-
partment, defended the department's action. He
said all documents, except for "enforcement" re-
cords, had been turned over to PIRGIM.
The "enforcement" documents, which Ridg-
way said detailed violations committed by indus-
tries, were not released because the lawyers of.
various companies had requested that they be
withheld.
"THE INDUSTRIES ARGUED, and it
made sense to me, that enforcement data should
be exempt from the Freedom of Information
Act," Ridgway said.
He declined to name any such industries.
Ridgway claimed the sewage department was
an innocent third party. "We intend to back com-
pletely out of the lawsuit and let PIRGIM and
the industries fight amongst themselves," he
said.
"When we go to court, the industries will join
the lawsuit. If they don't join the lawsuit, we'll
turn over the documents (to PIRGIM)," Ridgway
added.
PIRGIM program director Andrew Buchs-
baum, who has spearheaded the fight against the
sewage department, disputed Ridgway's claim
that it could remain a third party.
"The City can't stay out of it. By law, they
are forced... to turn over the documents," Buchs-
baum said.
BUCHSBAUM ACCUSED the depart-
ment of patronizing the companies mentioned in
the unreleased documents. "They don't want to
offend the industries that are paying the fees," he
said.
When asked to speculate on why the depart-
ment wouldn't release the documents, Buchs-
baum said, "I expect that they are breaking the
law, and they don't want us to know."
Israelis lob tear gas in hospital
RAMALLAH, Occupied West
Bank (AP) -Israeli troops fired tear
gas inside an Arab hospital yester-
day, forcing doctors to don gas
masks and sending dozens of chok-
ing patients fleeing with their faces
covered by Arab headdresses.
Soldiers clubbed a Palestinian
teen-ager suspected of throwing
rocks at troops from a barricade
erected about 10 yards from the hos-
pital's emergency room.
As Associated Press photographer
saw soldiers throw the youth head
first down a flight of stairs, then sit
on his stomach while beating him
with a wooden truncheon.
Troops detained 20 Arabs sus-
pected of participating in demonstra-
tions in Ramallah, Israel radio said.
9
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