Marchers blast G.I. Joe, violent toys The Michigan Daily - Monday, December 4, 1989 - Page 5 200 Couzens Hall residents complain of food poisoning by Jennifer Hiri Daily Staff Writer In today's commercialized soci- ety, children expect toys to talk, change into robots, explode, or be featured in a Saturday morning tele- vision cartoon. Whatever happened to hand-made toys and stuffed animals? On Saturday, the Campaign Against Violent Toys protested against violent toys and promoted creative ones during its first annual parade. The four-year-old group met on the corner of State St. and E. William St. and marched down E. Liberty St. to Main St. The parade drew more than 50 people, including small children, parents, grandparents, and representa- tives from other organizations op- posed to violent toys. The coalition has been asking stores to join their campaign against violent toys. Ann Arbor resident and campaign co-organizer Joan Horton works with children at the Pound House, a nurs- ery school for children of University faculty and staff. She said she is alarmed with the amount of violence children are exposed to through tele- vision programs and toys. "Since television was deregulated in. 1983, educational programs have diminished... and violent toys have increased at least 700 percent," she said. The campaign objects to machine guns which mount onto tricycles, laser guns for Nintendo video games, and gun sets with fake blood, among other toys. Additionally, the campaign criti- cizes many cartoons which have been commercialized into popular toys for children - including He-< Man, Super Heroes, and G.I. Joe. 'G.1. Joe averages 84 acts of violence every half-hour episode. - Joan Weisman, a member of the Women's International League forr Peace and Freedom Joan Weisman, a member of thec Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, said such televi- sion cartoons are not real programs - just thinly disguised sales for vi- olence. In fact, she said, "G.I. Joe; averages 84 acts of violence every1 half-hour episode." Horton said most studies confirmE that children's behavior is more ag- gressive after they watch violent television programs. While educators< by Ruth Littmann Daily Staff Writer A week and a half after enjoying Thanksgiving dinner, more than 200 students at Couzens Hall reported food poisoning from residence hall meals. Between 20 and 30 Couzens Hall residents were driven by University security guards, resident directors, and friends to the University Hospi- tal early Sunday morning after they complained about severe stomach pains, fever, nausea, and diarrhea. Between Saturday night and Sun- day morning, more than 200 com- plaints were filed by students who ate at the Couzens Hall cafeteria on Saturday. Eric Hermanson, an engineering sophomore, said students on his hall "narrowed it down to the salad bar - maybe the dressing." LSA sophomore Chris Tuohy said, "It's weird. Nobody really knows what caused it." Toni Shears, the University Med- ical Center's Information Officer, said the center logged about 20 stu- dent calls between 1 a.m. and mid- Sunday morning. Shears also said available docu- ments diagnose the instances as ei- ther food poisoning or other gastro- intestinal problems. However, Dr. Ronald Maio at Emergency Services said the diag- noses were ambiguous. "The prob- lem is that not all the students' symptoms are completely alike," he said. "The symptoms of the flu can mimic symptoms of food poison- ing." While Maio said doctors have not yet determined whether students who ate at Couzens Hall suffered from food poisoning or other illnesses,.he said that the incident has already been reported to University and health authorities. "They will be looking into it," he said. First-year student Maggie Carey, who spent five hours in the hospital on Sunday, said, "They put me on an I.V. to prevent dehydration." r On Sunday evening, Carey re- ported feeling better despite "a headache and queasy stomach." She figured her illness must have been caused by the spaghetti dinner she ate, since she did not eat lunch that day. "I probably won't eat here for while," said Tuohy, who said li wanted to stay healthy for final ex- aminations. Thecafeteria was open for lunch Sunday. Sister Dori Gapczynski participates in the anti-war toy protest in William Street Saturday. continue researching the link be- tween violence and children, Horton said she doesn't need their studies to predict the results. "I see the effect with my own eyes... violence limits a child's de- velopment," Horton said. Ruthie Calhoun, a six-year-old student at Emerson Elementary School, said she disapproves of vio- lent toys. "Guns are not nice," she said. "I tell my friends not to play with them." Members of the Women's Inter- national League for Peace and Free- dom, the Grey Panthers, World Book Childcraft, and the Pound House also participated in the march. be irbiguu taibj Is an affirmative action employer. ""-" . ** 2 sm mm.. n, $ ..,* *4 .." - HIDDEN ELECTIVES!!!! LS&A students (and others, too), there are electives available to you outside NOBODY LIKES YOU? We're here to he . It's a new Write: Help el, advice c/o Michigan Daily column in 420 Maynard the Daily. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 PASS IT AROUND! 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Talking about the Right Things Campus-wide dialogues organized by the Institute for Social Research Here at The University of Michigan, students of diverse racial and ethnic back- grounds attend the same classes, live in the same dorms, read in the same study halls and libraries, and cheer for the same teams. Yet they may only rarely talk with each other to share ideas, opinions, and perspectives. And the same is true of faculty and staff. Let's begin the dialogue ... A group of us at the Institute for Social Research plan to observe Martin Luther King Day, January 15, 1990, by seeing and discussing Spike Lee's provocative new film ... Do the Right Thing Come see a free showing of this film, and... * talk about our divided society How can you begin the dialogue? Observe Martin Luther King Day by seeing and discussing this film with a person of a different racial or ethnic background. * Attend one of three orientation sessions (place to be specified): Friday, January 12, at 1:00 p.m. Friday, January 12, at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, January 13, at 10:00 a.m. * See the film with your discussion partner at one of the special free showings at the Michigan Theater: Monday, January 15, 1:30 p.m. Monday, January 15, 4:30 p.m. * Talk about the film with your discus- sion partner Talking about the Right Things Make your reservations now... Your name: Address: Telephone: Circle one. freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, graduate student, faculty, staff Your racial or ethnic background (to help match discussion partners): Your age: __disssio Sex: M F Do you need a discussion partner? Yes No If you already have a partner: Partner's name: Partner's address and phone: Partner is (circle one): freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, graduate student, faculty, staff Partner's racial or ethnic background: Partner's age: Partner's sex: M F Please indicate which orientation session you think you will attend (check one): It i1 * Share with others the ideas you and your discussion partner develop together -- and, if you wish, contribute those ideas to a special publication s i a j I _ Friday, January 12, 1:00 p.m.