The Michigan Daily -Tuesday, September 18, 990 - Page_3 HEMP Tour '90 stages rally for legalization of pot by David Rheingold Protesting caste, student burns self to death Marijuana legalization activists staged a rally in the Diag last Fri- day as a part of the HEMP (Help End Marijuana Prohibition) Tour '90. Addressing a crowd of approxi- mately 100, speakers advocated the use of hemp instead of standard fibers in paper and clothing. Even though hemp is illegal, it is more environmentally sound than legal fibers, said HEMP Tour director Shan Clark. "If we get (marijuana legalized), we have a political plan. With this moratorium, we can provide all our fuel, all our non-polluting, annu- ally-renewable textiles, (because) hemp is a standard fiber of history," Clark said. The harmful side effects of THC, the active component in mar- ijuana, were briefly acknowledged, but not emphasized. These include drowsiness, muscular incoordina- tion, altered time distortion, and possible addiction. One woman stressed the drug's healing effects. "Before I smoke marijuana, I cannot heel-to-toe walk. After I smoke marijuana, I could go heel- to-toe walk all the way across the Diag. It motivates me, it relieves the inner tensions that I feel," said Renee Emry, who suffers from multiple sclerosis. s Dana Beal, one of the founders of Safe Drugs Movement and a co- ordinator of the Drug Reform Coalition, accused the Partnership For a Drug-Free America of using false information in one of its ad- vertisements. "(It) was the classic case of the dead brain scam, with the flat (brain wave activity lines, while the narra- tor said): 'This is a kid after he's smoked pot.' What it was is a 40- year old man in a coma who'd been in an accident because of alcohol. That was found out, they were con- fronted, and they continued to put the ad on," he said. One student applauded the ac- tivists for exercising their freedom of speech. "I think it's great that these peo- ple, even though I may not agree with what they're saying, are able to come out here in front of every- one... and voice their own opin- ions," said Mike Salamon, an LSA first-year student. Although the rally lasted an hour, the protest continued as sev- eral of the activists engaged in a heated quarrel with two local men about the ethics of drug use. Cornerstone Christian Church member Ed Frutig said, "Basically, we we're telling the students that drugs lead to a dead end, that it's going to burn out their minds and destroy their life and that God has a much better way for them to live." "I don't believe in a God that NEW DELHI, India (AP) - A student Saturday doused himself with kerosene and burned himself to death in a northern city to protest job quo- tas based on the caste system, touch- ing off rioting, United News of India reported. Students set fire to building in Kurukshetra, 90 miles north of New Delhi, and the army was called out to bring the rampaging youths under control, the news agency said. Quota-related unrest was reported in other cities since Friday. There are no direct telephone links to Kurukshetra and no confir- mation of the report was immedi- ately available. The victim was iden- tified as Sushil Kumar, but United News of India gave no further infor- mation about him. He was the fourth student to im- molate himself to dramatize protests against a government plan to reserve 49 percent of federal jobs for low- caste Hindus. The government says the quota plan will give social justice to Indi- ans who have been deprived for cen- turies by the rigid caste system. Stu- dents from higher castes say they will lose jobs to lesser qualified people. A wave of protests engulfed northern India after Prime Minister V.P. Singh announced the affirma- tive action program Aug. 7. Since then a least 25 people have been killed by police firing on protesters. Nationwide, the government em- ploys about 18 million people and a government job is highly prized. Earlier this week, three more stu- dents had set themselves alight with kerosene in a similar protest but survived. One of them, Rajeev Goswami, is in a New Delhi hospi- tal in critical condition with burns on 55 percent of his body.to Hundreds of students carried Ku- mar's body in a procession and set fire to the house and office of the Kurukshetra deputy commissioner, the town's top civil administrator. About 6,000 people gathered ou- side the government official's resi- dential colony nearby, shouting anti- government slogans, the agency said. It reported violence from two other towns nearby. Several people were injured in Rohtak and Fate- habad in clashes between students opposing and supporting the gov- ernment plan, it said. In New Delhi, thousands of ste- dents staged a sit-down strike on an arterial road outside the hospital where Goswami was admitted. They blocked traffic between the southern residential neighborhood and central districts, where the capital's main businesses and offices are located. The sit-in outside the Safdarjang Hospital has disrupted traffic for more than 30 hours since Friday morning. DAVID RHEINGOLD/Daily Rene Emry was one of the approximately 100 onlookers at the HEMP Tour '90. Emry said that smoking pot relieved her multiple sclerosis. needs a captive audience. I think God could do just fine on his own," Beal said. City police also arrived promptly at 1:00. They declined to comment on the reason for their presence. The HEMP rally was part of "a national tour publicizing the envi- ronmental and economical impor- tance of hemp," according to a flier distributed on campus. Its next stop is the Harvest Fest in Madison, Wisconsin this weekend, Clark said. ,0..] 'a a+ s New group seeks to speak for conservative 'silent majority' by Ashok Bhatia Arguing that there is a "silent majority" of conservative University students whose interests have not been vocalized, five students have founded a lobbying group to pro- mote a conservative agenda for cam- pus politics. By influencing the Michigan Student Assembly (MSA) and writ- ing articles for campus publications, Students for a Conservative Campus hopes to invigorate the University's conservative students, said founder James Green. "We believe the campus is basi- cally conservative but that we hear only from a vocal (liberal) minor- ity," said James Green, an LSA ju- nior and the group's founder. "We don't feel that left-wing representa- tion does justice to the student body." The group, which claims 20 members, received official MSA recognition at the assembly's meet- ing last week. "The most active groups on cam- pus tend to be the most radical," Shackman said. "We want to offer an opposite viewpoint. It's long past due." As a lobbying organization, Shackman said their group will differ from the two other vocal conserva- tive organizations, the Michigan Review and College Republicans. "The Review is geared towards journalism; the Republicans are in- volved in national and electoral poli- tics," he said. "There hasn't been an organization to get conservative stu- dents interested in campus politics." The group is not a political party and does not have plans to field can- didates for MSA elections, Green said. Shackman said that while the group wasn't formed to address one specific issue, he expects it to op- pose both a mandatory course on racism and a discriminatory speech policy. Members said they will find sup- port despite the University's reputa- tion as a liberal campus. Shackman cited a Michigan Review article from three years ago claiming that 30 percent of the student body con- sider themselves conservative. According to the group's Student Organization Description filed with MSA, the group has set three gen- eral goals, among which is increased student government accountability. Although Green said the present sys- tem is a "glaring abuse," he said the group had not formulated any spe- cific plan to make representatives more accountable to the student body. Fiscal responsibility and a more positive academic environment are the other two goals. MSA vice-president Angie Burks dismissed the criticism that the Assembly fails to represent the stu- dent body. "Students came out to support us with one of the highest turnouts ever," she said, "This isIhe government the students want. the age of the Reganites has passed."., Green said he anticipates the group will avoid rallies and protests, calling them "symbols of the radical left." . Borgsdorf waits on California by Donna Woodwell Daily City Reporter Ann Arbor City Administrator Del Borgsdorf may find out today if he will be heading for sunny south- ern California. Borgsdorf is one of two finalists z for city manager in Fresno, Califor- nia. Friday Fresno Mayor Karen 9 Humphrey and the mayor pro-tem came to Ann Arbor to do a back- ground check on Borgsdorf. Their appointment decision may be an- nounced as early as tonight. "I will be sad to see him go," said Council member Anne Marie Coleman (D-1st Ward), who met with the Fresno mayor. She said she believed the Fresno delegation was very impressed with Borgsdorf's cre- dentials. "I would be very surprised if he does not get the job." The Fresno delegates asked ques- tions about Borgsdorf's job perfor- mance and ability to manage racial and ethnic issues. They also visited Cincinnati to interview the other fi- nalist, Deputy City Manager Mike Bierman. A consulting company hired by the city of Fresno contacted Borgs- dorf several months ago and encour- aged him to apply for the position. "The fact that he is being actively recruited is an affirmation of what a good city administrator he is," Coleman said. The City Council appointed Borgsdorf two years ago. He cur- rently earns $84,000, and the move. to Fresno would increase his salary to $125,000. ' The City Administrator is Ann Arbor's chief executive officer. It is the Administrator's job to coordinate municipal government agencies, propose city budgets, and implement City Council policies. job offer The City Council held a meeting last Tuesday to discuss a plan of ac- tion if Borgsdorf is hired. If Borgs- dorf accepts a new position, an in- terim Administrator will be ap- pointed by the Council until a na- tionwide search for a new city man- ager can be undertaken. "Ann Arbor is a very exciting city, so we should have many appli- cants," Coleman said. Borgsdorf was out of town over the weekend and unavailable for comment. Ann Arbor Mayor Jerry Jernigan was also unavailable for comment. Student lobbying grou by Bethany Robertson Boatright said informing students Encouraging more state financial about MCC - the organization support for its public university stu- which lobbies the state legislature FT dents and reaching out to students on on behalf of public university stu- p receives new leader campus are a few of the goals of Central Michigan University senior Tamera Boatright as she starts her job as chair of the Michigan Colle- giate Coalition (MCC). dents - is a high priority. "I'd like to see the MCC start doing more campus outreach," she said. Boatright said she plans to place emphasis on forming more student THELIST What's happening in Ann Arbor today Meetingsi Greek Music and Folk Dancing. International Center. 8 p.m. Contact Veronical Kalas: 998- 1255. Undergraduate Psychological Society. 2440 Mason Hall. 8 p.m. Stutterers' Support Group. 1111 E. Catherine St. 5:30 p.m. Call: 7644440. Progressive Zionist Caucus Mass Meeting. Hillel. 7:30 p.m. Speakers "Technology and the Workplace" Margrit Hugentobler (ILIR) and Tom Fitzgerald Center Reading Room. 4 p.m. "Synthesis, Characterization and Reactivity of Early Transition Metal Sulfides" Sang- Man Koo will speak. Rm. 1640 4 p.m.. Furthermore ECB Peer Writing Tutors available to help with paper. Angell/Haven Computing Center. 7- 11 p.m. The Job Search. CP&P Room One. 4:10-5 p.m. Business Options with a Liberal Arts Degree. C P & P ['f~dnr&- Ram dA1(1_4w m_ contacts between universities and programming events to discuss is- sues affecting students' rights on campus. The MCC, which is funded by student fees and represented by a governor from each of Michigan's public universities, is working on several projects this year, said LSA junior Stephanie Simon, the Univer- sity governor to the MCC. The coalition is promoting House Bill 5441, which would allow work-study students to hold jobs with non-profit organizations outside of the University. The bill is cur- rently being reviewed by the House Appropriations subcommittee on Higher Education. Another MCCiproject involves student representation on university boards. The MCC "wants to get stu- dents on the Board of Regents at ev- ery university in Michigan," Simon said. In addition, the MCC has been working with state representative Morris Hood (D-Detroit) to write a bill that would establish the Michi- gan Education Access Grant. Currently, $38 million is appro- priated by the state as grants for 75.000 private iuniversity gstugjpnflf sity students are allocated $1 million in grants each year, Simon said. "MEAG- would merge existing state financial aid awards to create one comprehensive financial aid pro- gram open to all students who are state residents," she said. "What this program is hoping to do is make it more equitable" for private and pub- lic university students, Simon said. The MCC is also planning a ref- erendum in the spring to reaffirm student approval of the 35 cents taken from tuition bills each semester to support the coalition. Crawley said she is confident the MCC will continue to be a staunch supporter of student rights in the Michigan Legislature. "I think it's going to keep get- ting stronger and stronger," Crawley said. Simon said she supports Boa- tright as president. "She's a very hard working person and she has been putting all of her effort into this," she said. Boatright assumed her position at the beginning of September and re- places Penny Crawley, who gradu- ated from Saginaw Valley State last Packing Foreign Legion soldiers from a calvary regiment based in Orange, Southern France, prepare their packs on the quay before embarking on, the ferry "Girolata" for Saudi Arabia yesterday in Toulon, Southern France. WRITERS PHOTOGRAPHERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . ..O...M ER................SCHOOL :::: ..............S...A........ W e!:.:..Ne..ed...