The Michigan Daily-Thursday, March 24, 1988- Page 3
Faculty groups fight
racism on campus
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By MICHAEL LUSTIG
Two groups of University faculty
members - prompted by the racial
tension on campus during the past
year - have committed themselves
to the struggle against institutional
racism.
Faculty Against Institutional
Racism (FAIR), a group formed last
summer by faculty members con-
cerned about the racist incidents on
campus last spring, has grown to
almost 20 regular members.
Sociology Prof. Howard
Kimmeldorf said he got involved
with FAIR because "a number of us
were concerned that the faculty,
especially the white faculty, wasn't
doing enough in relation to last win-
ter and spring's events," when more
than 300 students took over the
Fleming Building in a protest against
racism.
IN A RECENT public
statement, FAIR listed a number of
Curriculum Committee this term.
Greater involvement in the groups
- which meet separately and infor-
mally every two to three weeks -
was prompted by the student sit-in
at the Fleming Building last year.
Alexander said members were
"moved" by the work of the United
Coalition Against Racism and last
spring's anti-racism activities.
LAW SCHOOL Prof. Alex
Aleinikoff, a FAIR member, at-
tributed some of the racial tension to
a do-nothing attitude. "I'm concerned
about the way people of color are
being treated on this campus," he
said. In the past, white faculty have
just sat back and let minorities
struggle for themselves, he said.
Pam Nadasen, a UCAR
spokesperson and LSA junior, said
UCAR members have worked with
both faculty groups. One joint event
was the Martin Luther King Day
programs last month, in which Con-
cerned Faculty members helped de-
sign programs and run seminars, she
said.
'I'm concerned
way people of
being treated
campus.'
about the
c
Color are Nadasen said FAIR and Concerned
on t h is Faculty have provided important
moral support, in a back-up position,
for UCAR.
- Alex Aleinikoff,
member, Faculty Against
Institutional Racism
demands including increased
recruitment and retention of minority
faculty, a more diverse student
population, and a "curriculum that is
not ethnocentric."
The other group, Concerned Fac-
ulty, has existed for several years,
but just recently adopted this name.
The group has about 30 regular
members and a mailing list of over
100 people.
Though the group focuses on
other issues like human rights and
problems in Central America, Con-
cerned Faculty founder and English
Prof. Buzz Alexander said fighting
institutional racism is "the primary
issue right now."
SOCIAL WORK Prof. Helen
Weingarten said she has worked on
issues revolving around racism and
sexism in her academic field. She
works in both groups, though she
joined FAIR first.
Public Health Prof. Richard
Lichtenstein, a FAIR member, stud-
ies minority populations in relation
to poverty and also participated in a
year-long study on how to recruit and
retain minority students in the health
science fields.
He said he got involved with
FAIR because he perceived a lack of
effort and commitment by the Uni-
versity.
"YOU'VE GOT people who are
extremely motivated on this issue,"
Lichtenstein said. He said many peo-
ple have been waiting for an oppor-
tunity to get involved. But time
constraints on faculty members pre-
vent many of them from taking an
active role, he said.
FAIR and Concerned Faculty may
not be able to solve all the problems
facing the University, Lichtenstein
said, but if they have one success, it
is that "it gives minority students a
sense that people care."
Daily Photo by JUHN MUNSON
Lunchtime religion
The figure of Bible-toting preacher Brad Erlandson looms over a group of students trying to soak up some sun on the Diag. Erlandson,
along with four others, lectured to yesterday's noon crowd, many of whom responded with laughter.
-w
On the roadwit e harI
By ANNA BORGMAN
Upon careful examination, presidential cam-
paigns may be little more than 30 second televi-
sion clips strung together by a series of bus
rides, plane trips, and motorcades.
This is what politicos call "wholesale" poli-
tics -- or campaigns in states with more than
100,000 expected voters and where personal
campaigning has become obsolete. Because can-
didates can never shake enough hands to win the
nomination, they must rely on favorable press
and well-placed advertising.
And this is how Rep. Richard Gephardt of
Missouri has been conducting his Michigan
campaign, making a last-ditch effort to keep his
bid for the candidacy alive.
GEPHARDT SPOKE last week before
union representatives at the Detroit Building
Trades Council and addressed two county
prosecutors at the Wayne County Jail about
Detroit's drug problem. There he seemed distant,
almost as if he were on TV.
Later he sat on a posh bus rented for a two-day
tour across the state of Michigan. Gephardt's
wife, Jane, sat beside him. His press secretary
and a secret service agent sat in front. The rest of
the seats were sparsely populated with reporters,
campaign staff, and secret service agents.
Sitting on a comfortable, high-backed blue
cushioned seat, Gephardt read the sports page and
wolfed down a McDonald's cheeseburger. He
talked about going to the University of Michigan
Law School and told jokes to the reporters who
sat around him.
WHAT WAS IMPORTANT on this bus
were not the political issues that accompany a
presidential campaign, but instead the burning
issues of when to stop for lunch at McDonald's,
how the St. Louis Cardinals are doing, and who
can tell the funniest joke. Everyone on the bus
knew their place. Inside this bus there were no
directed questions, no reporters jockeying for
position.
The bus stopped. It didn't really matter where.
The advance staff had an excited group of sup-
porters waving banners and reaching out to shake
the candidate's hand. Gephardt, "The Candidate",
appeared.
He smiled and slapped some backs. The tele-
vision cameras started to run and the reporters
pulled out their notebooks. They hit the Mis-
souri representative with tough, aggressive ques-
tions about the strength of his candidacy and his
chances of winning the upcoming caucus.
GEPHARDT'S SPEECH was similar to
the one made earlier in the day in Detroit and
ones made earlier in the campaign in Iowa,
though the specifics were slightly altered. In
Jackson, the most important issues were a
declining manufacturing base and the loss of
jobs. In Detroit the issue was drugs, and in Iowa
it was the prices of agricultural goods.
Standing around him were secret service
agents wearing dark suits and radio earphones in
their ears. They constantly watched the audience,
occasionally talking into pins on their lapels.
They followed the candidate as he toured a plant
and were close at his side when he waded into a
crowd to shake hands.
Seven high school students in Marshall turned
out for Gephardt's stop there. Their purpose: ex-
tra credit for their government class. They were
excited just to have seen someone who might be
president.
SOON EVERYONE piled back on the
bus, and it was off to the next stop. A pollster
spouted off returns of the Illinois primaries. The
stern-faced secret service agent cracked a smile.
Gephardt reviewed the sports page from the
Detroit News.
The scene is not unique to this candidate al-
though there are slight differences. Gov. Michael
Dukakis of Massachusetts and Sen. Robert Dole
of Kansas both travel without'secret service pro-
tection. The Rev. Jesse Jackson follows his
speeches with requests for campaign donations.
Vice president George Bush travels with the en-
tourage that comes with his office.
Gephardt has been on the campaign trail for
over two years now."It's not half as bad as you
think," he said, but then commented that he just
had a day off for the first time in a month and a
half.
SEVERAL members of
Concerned Faculty have been
designing a proposal for a mandatory'
class on racism and sexism, which
they hope to present to the LSA
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'U' Hospital will provide'
child care for workers
By ALYSSA LUSTIGMAN
Working 24 hours a day, seven
days a week makes raising a family
difficult for University Hospital em-
ployees. But an on-site child care
center, recently approved by the
University's Board of Regents, could
supply an answer for hundreds of
parents working at the medical cen-
ter.
"We hope to provide child care for
medical center direct-patient care
personnel," said Gary Calhoun, di-
rector of planning at the University
Medical Center. Calhoun could not
estimate how many employees
would be affected.
"Hospital employees expressed a
strong need for a high quality, on-
site center," he said. Calhoun added
that no qualifications of age criteria
for children have been established.
John Forsyth, in his request for
action at the regents' meeting, said
in addition to helping hospital em-
ployees better combine their career
and family responsibilities, a child
care center could help to recruit more
registered nurses.
Hospitals account for 400 of the
550 on-site child care centers in the
U.S. The development of centers has
led to a decrease in absenteeism, tar-
diness, and turnovers, and an increase
in morale, productivity, and recruit-
ment, Forsyth said in his request.
The center, which is estimated to
hold 145 children, will cost about $2
million to build and $1 million to
operate.
The hospital has earmarked
$600,000 of its own funds to operate
the program. Initial costs will be fi-
nanced through hospital capital re-
serves and fund raising.
"We were finally able financially
last year to set aside money for the
program" Calhoun said. The hospital
expects the remainder of the operat-
ing costs to be supported by user*
fees.
MSA opposes fine against dorm painters
By PETER MOONEY
The Michigan Student Assembly
passed a resolution after press time
Tuesday that "strongly urges" the
University Housing Division to lift a
fee against members of Alice Lloyd
residence hall for not painting a hall
according to the specifications of a
contract.
On Dec.1, third floor residents of
the Hinsdale House contracted with
Lloyd housing director Marc Kaplan
to paint a rainbow design on the
hallway walls.
According to two residents who
addressed the assembly Tuesday
night, they discovered that painting a
rainbow would be too difficult. They
said their Resident Supervisor, Car-
ola Carlier, made a verbal agreement
with Kaplan that the design could be
changed.
Trudy Papler, a first-year engi-
neering student who spoke during
MSA constituents' time, said the
new design had "each of the doors
painted a different color, and the
walls were splattered with different
colors."
The hall was painted three weeks
ago. Soon after, the residents said
Kaplan objected to the new design.
Kaplan then levied a fine of $50
against each student on the hall to
pay for union painters to repaint the hall themselves.
hallway. Jodi Fenton
Some residents say they would oi Fenton
rather repaint it themselves. "They Positiverybody like
won't even let us try to do it again,"
said Vicki Tolces, a first-year LSA Kaplan has
student who also spoke before the complaints abou
assembly. . residents. "Every
The MSA resolution passed won't even talk t
Tuesday also urges Kaplan to allow Kaplan wa
the Hinsdale residents to repaint the comment.
,she has heard only
nto the new design.
s it," she said.
not discussed 'his
ut the hall with the
yone is upset that he
o us," Papler said.
s unavailable for
B $TO JAPAN.
DISCOUNT FARE
FROM DETROIT
(WEEKDAY DEPARTURE)
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THE LIST
What's happening in Ann Arbor today
Speakers
Paul Simon
(Law School),
Night Planning Meeting.
Station, Community AccessI
2nd. Floor (Across from
Hall), 7:30 p.m.
Fire
Room,
C i ty
& Albert Terrace
S1700 Geddes
82J
ALL NIPPON AIR
NORTHWEST
UNITED AIR
JAPAN AIR
$750.00
$735.00
$795.00
$850.00
- Hutchins Hall
12:15 p.m.
Meetings
Sexism at the 'U': Have
Things Improved? - Brown
Bag discussion. 2444 Mason Hall,
Noon.
Miskatonic - Ann Arbor's
society for horror and dark fantasy.
Crowfoot Room, Michigan Union,
Furthermore.
Okinawan Women's Karate
Club -Beginner's class, 7:45;
Advanced class, 6:30. IM sports
building
The Coronation of Poppea
- Mendelssohn Theatre, 8 p.m.
(Sung in English by the School of
- HOTEL PACKAGE -
TOKYO HOTEL SUNSHINE CITY PRINCE
2 NIGHTS $160.00 (Single)
OSAKA HOTEL NEW OTANI
2 NIGHTS $170.00 (Single)
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