Page -The Michigan Daily-Wednesday, January 2, a1990 Students vie for laughs, prizes by Jody Weinberg Ten University comedians will compete tonight at the University Club in hopes of winning lots of laughs as well as a spot in a national comedy competition. A tape of the winner's act will be sent to a regional competition, where judges will select a regional victor to compete nationally. There will be four regional win- ners from across the country, and these four finalists will compete for the national prize - the opportunity to perform at a popular New York club. "We have some people who can really do it (win the regionals)," said LSA senior Kerry Birmingham, the co-committee chair of Laugh Track. Death penalty may be on ballot LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Sup- porters for imposing the death penalty in Michigan will have to show they're willing to work long hours if a petition drive has any hope of success, the lawmaker spon- soring the effort said yesterday. "People have to -show us they mean business and will get out and work," said Sen. Gilbert DiNello (D- East Detroit). "I know what I'm getting myself into," he said. "We're going to tell them our position, tell them we have a great task on our hands." DiNello made his comments a few hours before a scheduled meeting in East Detroit to organize the pro- posed petition drive. It aims to place the issue on the November 6 general election ballot. DiNello said he planned to offer the petition language, explain the process of collecting signatures and discuss the strategy of the campaign. But he said it's crucial to have many people attend. "If there's a light turnout, it's not a good indication," he said. "The more the better." Supporters will need to collect 239,657 valid signatures over a six- month span to place the issue on the ballot. DiNello said he's attracting sup- port from across the state. "We're getting calls all the time. They know it's out there." He said 18 of 38 senators and about 30 of the 110 House members have signed on to support the effort. DiNello says he believes Michi- gan residents favor the death penalty. Michigan banned capital punishment in an 1848 law. "If it's on the bal- lot, we think people will vote for it." DiNello said his proposal would permit the death penalty in cases of first-degree murder or other crimes as spelled out by the Legislature. "We're using it as retribution against the person who committed the crime," he said. DiNello said he has the support and some assistance - although not the direct involvement - of former Oakland County Prosecutor L. Brooks Patterson, who led a petition drive in 1986 to place a similar pro- posal on the ballot. The finals will be aired from Daytona on the MTV Spring Break Special. The competitors were selected as a result of prior appearances at Laugh Track - the weekly comedy show at the U-Club. The competitors will be judged by a panel brought in by U.S. Con- cepts, the company organizing the Certs-sponsored U.S. College Com- edy Competitions throughout the country. The contestants' routines must be from three to five minutes long, in addition to being "clean" - accept- able to a television audience. Last year, former University stu- dent and.-current professional come- dian Peter Berman was the winner of the University competition. Berman won the regional prize, and then went on to the national competition, where he finished second. The nine other student competi- tors are: Tom Franck, junior art stu- dent and usual host of Laugh Track; Jason Allington, LSA senior; Rich Eisen, LSA senior; Sandra Wells, When asked why one should at- tend the competition at the U-Club tonight, first year LSA student and competing comedian Jennifer Bala- ban said, "The same reason you might go to a Psych. film on un- conscious motivation... no one knows why." A tape of the winner's act will be sent to a regional competition, where judges will select a regional victor to compete nationally. LSA sophomore; Eric Kurit, LSA sophomore; Jeff Goad, sophomore engineering student; Dana Nesse!, LSA junior; Mike Bloomfield, LSA sophomore; and Ken Polsky, LSA junior. The competition will be hosted by professional comedian Pat Mc- Greal at 10 p.m. Birmingham ad- vised those who plan to attend to ar- rive early because the event is tradi- tionally a sell-out. IN BRIEF Compiled from Associated Press and staff reports State considers withdrawal from toxic waste compact LANSING - Opponents of burying low-level radioactive waste in Michigan jammed a Senate hearing yesterday to listen as colleagues pressed for withdrawal from the Midwest Low-level Radioactive Waste Compact. State and compact nuclear waste disposal leaders, warned that Michigan would gain little from withdrawal, and criticized the legislation to pull the state from the group. The panel took no action, leaving the controversial low-level waste is- sue unchanged for now, except for the venting of more citizen anger. The Senator Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee is considering three bills, two pulling Michigan out of the compact and the other calling for negotiations with other states to consolidate dump sites. The state has tentatively selected Lenawee, St. Clair and Ontonagon counties for the dump site. Soviet unrest remains 'tense' MOSCOW - Extremists ambushed a military convoy in Azerbaijan, killing two reserve soldiers and a woman bystander, Soviet media said yesterday. The KGB said the republic was on the brink of anarchy, and lo- cal politicians pushed for secession. Radio Moscow said the situation in the Soviet Caucasus, where Ar- menians and Azerbaijanis have been battling for 11 days, remained "very, very tense" yesterday. It said leaders of Soviet Azerbaijan and Armenia continued negotiations to end the ethnic violence, but little progress was reported. Azerbaijan's KGB expressed alarm in its appeal to residents of the re- public for calm, Radio Moscow said. "Azerbaijan is on the edge of the abyss, beyond which lie chaos and anarchy," the KGB warned. The public appeal was virtually unprecedented for the usually secretive state security agency. Judge will sentence Florida police officer Lozano today MIAMI - Many Blacks want William Lozano to spend a long time behind bars for the deaths of two unarmed young Black men that sparked riots a year ago, but the police officer's backers hope to persuade a judge to let him stay free. Dade Circuit Judge Joseph Farina was scheduled to sentence Lozano on two counts of manslaughter today. The suspended officer, free on $10,000 bond, faces from 12 to 17 years in prison under state sentencing guidelines, but could serve anything from probation to the maximum penalty of 45 years in prison. The deaths led to Miami's fourth major outbreak of racial strife in the 1980s, all linked to police incidents involving Blacks. Acquittals of white police officers accused of killing Blacks twice sparked violence. Miami had no problems when Lozano was convicted Dec. 7. Police did not anticipate any trouble after the sentencing and made no plans to mobi- lize the entire force, as was done prior to the verdict. FBI searches for bomb clues ENTERPRISE, Ala. - A junk dealer offered prayers and cooperation as FBI agents searched his warehouse yesterday looking for an old type- writer that could help solve the mail bomb killings of a judge and a civil rights lawyer. Wayne O'Ferrell ate lunch with FBI agents and accompanied them to his warehouse yesterday afternoon, one day after about 100 agents scoured O'Ferrell's home, warehouse and abandoned store, about 75 miles from Montgomery in southeastern Alabama. O'Ferrell, a one-time rural preacher, said he asked several members of his church "to pray for my family that we can get through this thing and I've asked them to pray for the FBI to find whatever they are looking for." Court records show O'Ferrell lost a lawsuit heard on appeal by U.S. Circuit Judge Robert Vance. The judge was killed Dec. 16 when a package bomb sent through the mail exploded at his home. EXTRAS France honors comic canine PARIS - The French celebrated Snoopy yesterday, saying that happiness is a warm puppy - even one that's 40 years old. The beguiling beagle who appears in Charles Schulz's comic strip "Peanuts" was honored with a blockbuster retrospective worthy of the World War I flying ace, bird-lover and faithful friend to that round-headed kid. Schulz, by the way, also was honored. He was named Commander of Arts and Letters, one of France's highest awards for excellence in the arts. Ceremonies took place at the Decorative Arts Museum, which is honoring the whimsical dog with a retrospective featuring Snoopy memorabilia. Schulz, beaming but appearing slightly embarrassed by the attention, said that during Snoopy's war years when he battled the Red Baron, he once explained how he learned to speak French. "He said he had a small tourist phrase book, but he told me you only really need to know one word, and that is, 'Merci,"' Schulz said in English. 4 A bin&zI The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the University of Michigan. Subscription rates: for fall and winter (2 semesters) $28.00 in-town and $39 out-of-town, for fall only $18.00 in-town and $22.00 out-of-town. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and the Student News Service. ADDRESS: The Michigan Daily, 420 Maynard, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. PHONE NUMBERS: News (313) 764-0552, Opinion 747-2814, Arts 763-0379, Spwrts 747-3336, Cir- culation 764-0558, Classified advertising 764-0557, Display advertising 764-0554, Billing 764-0550 Fast food Ypsilanti resident Mitchell Long makes burgers at the MUG in the Michigan Union. Prisoner on hunger strike may be free; court claims lack of evidence LANSING, Mich. (AP) - A prisoner who has starved himself since March 3 to protest his drug convictions rejoiced and praised God yesterday after the Michigan Court of Appeals reversed his convictions and life sentences. "One time more I say, God gives me his blessings. Now, I can show the people the power of our God is unequaled. He is powerful," said Rene Acuna, of Detroit. Acuna, who said he lived on spir- itual nutrition from God, said he will continue his hunger strike until he is released from prison and can re- turn home to his long-time compan- ion Anna Sossa and his two daugh- ters. "I keep my hunger strike. That is my decision. I will eat in the table of my house," Acuna said, who now weighs 112 pounds, down from 180, in a telephone interview. The Cuban immigrant insisted he was innocent of charges of delivery and conspiracy to deliver more than two pounds of cocaine. The appeals court agreed there was too little evi- dence to support his convictions and reversed them without ordering a new trial. "I'm ecstatic," said Michael Schuck, the attorney who handled Acuna's appeal. "I have to tell you, forgive my giggle. I am absolutely elated," said Paul Denenfeld, legal director for the Michigan chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which de- fended Acuna's right to hunger strike. "This has been probably the most gut-wrenching case I ever handled as a lawyer, and the system has worked. We are just really pleased," Denen- feld said. Assistant Macomb County Pros- ecutor Michael Suhy said he remains convinced that Acuna, a self-em- ployed handyperson, is guilty and will appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court. Preparation for Acuna's appeal was shortened, he said, "because this comedian was on a hunger strike" and the appeals court expedited the case. He said he will oppose Schuck's effort to have Acuna released on bond pending the new appeal because of the possibility that someone fac- ing a life sentence would flee, but Acuna's lawyer said he should recon- sider. "We're in a situation where someone's life is on the line. He has been on a hunger strike about 10 months now, and his life is in dan- ger every day," Schuck said. "The man has suffered enough," Denenfeld said. I ~ WAI -m - -W* a Acuna began what Michigan De- partment of Corrections officials called the system's longest hunger strike March 3 after a Macomb County Circuit Court jury convicted him on the drug charges. Living on a diet of water and cof- fee with sugar, Acuna's weight plunged from 180 pounds to just over 106 pounds by Sept. 13 when doctors at the Duane Waters Hospital next to the prison began force-feed- ing him. Doctors removed the feeding tube when Acuna's weight rebounded to about 125 pounds, but Acuna re- turned to his hunger strike, Sossa, who was appointed his guardian, said she will not sign papers permittir~g forced-feeding to resume. Acuna contended he was con- victed solely because he was an His- panic who happened to be in an all- white neighborhood when undercover agents bought drugs from other His- panics in a hotel parking lot in Au- gust 1988. The appeals court dismissed the prosecution's contention that he was a lookout for the drug dealers. The ruling stated that Acuna "did not talk to any of the other co-partic- ipants that night and made no at- tempt to signal or communicate with anyone... He had no gun, communication device or drugs in the car." It added that others convicted with Acuna said they had never heard of him. WE'RE LOOKING FOR GOOD TEACHERS And we're willing to pay to get them For highly qualified applicants willing to commit to teach in our schools for three years, we'll pay all or some of your tuition for the final year of under- graduate or graduate school. We're especially interested in you if you plan to teach, at any level from pre-K through 12th grade, Math, Science, Reading, Computers, Montessori, Math/Science, Environmental Science. We offer a wide array of teaching opportunities, from elementary schools specializing in Language Immersion (French, Spanish & German), Arts, Computers, Math/Science, Environ- mental Sciences, Montessori, or Latin Grammar to high schools specializing in Computers, Math/Science, Law and Public Serv- ice, Arts, Engineering, Agribusiness, International Studies and Communications. We'll even have a four year, full-time aca- demically oriented vocational high school. 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