1£W Ninety-eight years of editorial freedom Vol. XCVIII, No. 122 Ann Arbor, Michigan - Thursday, March 31, 1988 Copyright 1988, The Michigan Daily MSA to tell high schools of racism By LISA WINER The Michigan Student Assembly will inform Michigan high school students about racism at the University t h r o u g h advertisements in their school newspapers, as part of a resolution passed 22-6 at the assembly's Tuesday night meeting. MSA passed the resolution in response to University President Robben Fleming's policy on discriminatory acts, a disciplinary procedure for racist and sexist acts passed by the University's Board of Regents earlier this month. In addition to placing ads in newspapers, the resolution also mandates that MSA advise the Ann Arbor City Council and state legislature to monitor the racial situation on campus, and demand that the council and state legislature take steps toward institutional change and protection of student rights. VIRTUALLY ALL MSA members supported the resolution, but some were confused about the motivations behind targeting ads about the University to high school students. MSA President Michael Phillips said he wishes to better inform high school students about the University's racism problem. The University administration consistently pinpoints University students as the cause of racist acts on campus, Phillips said. "You read the administration's propaganda, and you don't really know what's going on...We want to counter this glossy propaganda," Phillips said. "Our purpose is positive - not to hide, gloss over racism, sexism, homophobia. It's just being honest - that's what (the administration) hasn't been." Although the content of the advertisements has not been decided, they might inform students about racism on campus and explain that some organizations on campus are working to fight it, Phillips said. "WE WISH TO ATTRACT more progressive students to work against racism," Phillips said. But Phillips' motives for placing ads in high school newspapers differ from the motives of a task force created to coordinate opposition to the code. "(The ads) are to tarnish the University's image," said Henry Park, sociology graduate student and head of the recently established task force. If the University's reputation is damaged, the administration may be more apt to work toward change, said MSA rep. Gretchen Walter, a first-year LSA student. "The only thing the administration cares about is how they look to the outside world," she said. "(HIGH SCHOOL students') parents are going to ask questions... They're going to want to know about discrimination and first amendment rights," said MSA rep. Brian Brad, an LSA sophomore. See MSA, Page 2 Playing ball? Daily Photo by JOHN MUNSON Lyssa Sperlich, 5, and her brother, Cade, 2, enjoy climbing on the bleachers at Ray Fisher stadium more than they do watching the Michigan baseball game. It's the first game they've attended. Three vie for 4th By PETER MOONEY As a member of the Ann Arbor City Council, David DeVarti (D-4th Ward) works within the system. Yet he still considers himself an activist. For example, most candidates cam- paign door-to-door passing out fliers promoting name recognition. But De- Varti's campaign material also includes plugs for a variety of issues he supports, including ballot referenda on rent control, improving the roads, and buying more parkland. As a former University student, PIR- GIM activist, and chair of the local Democratic party, DeVarti has long been involved in politics. DeVarti says this experience distinguishes him from the other candidates. DEVARTI also owns Sportsguides, which publishes the Cinema Guide and De Varti free programs distributed at University . ..activist incumbent athletic events. Ward council seat CityQ ELECTION 8 But his Republican opponent, banker Mark Ouimet, contends DeVarti's back- ground is more a detriment than an asset. "David is a professional politician. His life has been focused on running for a council seat in the 4th ward," Ouimet said. Adding spice to an already highly competitive race is Libertarian David Raaflaub's campaign. Though Raaflaub is not expected to win, he could affect the outcome by diverting votes from Ouimet or DeVarti. THE WARD has never elected a Democrat. DeVarti was appointed to the seat when Republican Gerald Jernigan was elected mayor last year in the middle of his two-year term. But the ward has given strong support to DeVarti in two previous campaigns for council, in which he came within 100 votes of unseating incumbents. Rent control has attracted attention from all of the candidates running for council this year. The issue will appear on Monday's ballot as Proposal C, and if passed, would limit rent increases to costs associated with inflation, utility rates, capital improvements, and property taxes. "I am a strong supporter of it (rent control). I think the private sector has not met its responsibility to provide hous- ing," DeVarti said. He cites tenants who have complained to him about rent in- creases far over the inflation rate and peo- ple who have been forced to move to Yp- silanti because they couldn't their rent. See Ward 4, Page 2 Byrd: Meese must go, Another aide may resign WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Majority Leader Robert Byrd yesterday called Attorney General Edwin Meese, "the crown jewel of... sleaze" and urged him to quit, but President Reagan reiterated his support for his old friend, the focus of an 11-month-old criminal investigation. Meanwhile, Solicitor General. Charles Fried, who ranks fourth in the Justice Department hierarchy, refused to give an immediate answer when Meese personally urged him not to join two other senior department fig- ures who resigned Tuesday, department sources said. ON TUESDAY, FRIED, who argues the gov- ernment's position in Supreme Court cases, told the As- sociated Press that the resignations had prompted him to reassess his own future. He said he needed time to think the matter through. Congressional reaction against Meese was strong the day after the resignations of the No. 2 Justice Depart- ment official, Deputy Attorney General Arnold Burns, and the head of the department's criminal division, Assistant Attorney General William Weld. Of Meese, Sen. Bob Packwood of Oregon said, "you finally reach a place where there is a cloud of suspicion, that you think you owe it to the president to remove yourself." BURNS AND WELD RESIGNED because they were concerned that Meese's continuing legal difficulties were damaging the effectiveness and credibility of the Justice Department, department sources said. Meese said again Tuesday night he won't resign. The criminal investigation of Meese launched last May 11 by independent counsel James McKay is contin- uing and so far has delved into his involvement through longtime friend E. Robert Wallach with scandal-plagued Wedtech Corp. and a $1 billion Iraqi pipeline. McKay widened the probe this week by subpoenaing payroll records and ether documents of the Washington chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society in connection with a $40,00-a-year job Meese's wife, Ursula, got with the charity in 1985. Investigators are examining Wal- lach's role in helping Mrs. Meese get the job. "Mr. Meese has become the crown jewel of the sleaze factor in Reagan administration history," Byrd (D- W. Va.) told reporters. TAs nab alleged vandal By CATHY NICHOLS Two University teaching assis- tants organized a stake-out Monday y # Ynight to catch the persons responsi- ble for defacing a political cartoon posted on the door of Economics TA Mark Greer. The TAs caught an individual tearing down the cartoon and re- strained him while calling campus security. After the incident, the se- curity officers filed a harassment re- port against the suspect and an as- sault report against Mark Weisbrot and Andreas Georgiou, the econo- mics TAs who apprehended him. Neither party has pressed charges. The assault involving Weisbrot and Georgiou is on record with the See Vandal, Page 2 Baseball team swings past Western BY PETER ZELLEN Yesterday, the Michigan baseball team swept a doubleheader from Western Michigan in a day that in- cluded seventh inning comebacks, a grand slam home run, and milestones. The Wolverines won the first game 6-5 but had to fight for it the whole game. Pitcher Ross Powell took the mound hoping to improve on his declining stand with the team. Instead he was met with control problems and an early exit. The Broncos loaded the bases in the first inning with no outs and proceeded to score two runs on two consecutive groundouts. Michigan countered with a run in the bottom of the inning on Bill St. Peter's RBI single. WITH THE bats in Western's hands the Broncos went on to score another run next inning. Then the Wolverines came back to tie the game with two runs on no hits. Two walks, two wild pitches, and a ground out put the notches in the scoreboard and knocked Western's pitcher, Chris Skryd, out of the game. Michigan scored again in the third, taking a 4-3 lead into the fourth inning. Unfortunately though, the left- handed Powell walked three batters in a row in the inning. Coach Bud Middaugh had decided that he had seen enough and replaced Powell with the veteran Mike Ignasiak. Ignasiak allowed the Broncos to tie the game on a sacrifice fly by right fielder Matt Mieske but then got out of the inning. Michigan took the lead in this see-saw game once again at the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by Eddie Woolwine. The tide however, went the Broncos' Daily Photo by JOHN MUNSON Members of the "Talk to Us" theatre troupe discuss sexism at yesterday's SAPAC brown bag lunch. Troupe acts By VICKI BAUER A woman walks into a dorm cafeteria, and a male student harasses her - "Hey baby, nice ass. Hey baby, nice legs. Hey baby..." Rnt eiiddenlu hbth stiudents freeze- s out sexual harassment The seminar, sponsored by the volunteers of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center, was the fourth of five weekly discussions about identifying and combating sexism wanted to shut him up. I didn't know what else to do. I first thought of a gun." LSA senior Lisa Sheffel, one of 70 members in the audience, said she once had a similar experience.