UbeMic to Iil I Crisis hits Terrorists threaten 'U' students in Italy home MSA voting begins today by Brooke Mayer American university programs in Florence, Italy received threaten- ing letters yesterday from an anonymous group saying it would retaliate against American "interests" in the city if the U.S. attacked Iraq. The University program is lo- cated in Sesto, twenty minutes out- side of Florence. Dr. Gino Casagrande, director of the University's program in Italy, said it is "business as usual, students are very calm and no one is giving the letter much credence." Currently there are 53 University students studying in Italy. Alexandra Rose, an RC junior on the program, said, "It's true that some people are not worried but some people have gone home already out of fear." One student has already left and four more are expected to leave by the end of the week, she added. The American groups are in con- stant contact with the police, the American embassy and the American consulate to keep abreast of devel- opments. Italian police officers visited Studeni by Matthew Pulliam Daily Staff Reporter University students yesterday and said they thought the letters were nothing serious, and that it was a hoax. Real terrorists would bomb first and take credit later, they said. Rose said security at the villa where students live is tight. A guard is stationed outside the gates all night and visitors are not allowed in the rooms at any time. In response to the letters, security has been increased and new locks were put on the doors. Students were encouraged to keep a low profile and not to talk to strangers, but otherwise activities have not changed. Ian Burnstein an LSA junior feels there is "a lot of unjustified fear, built up by the press in the United States. " Rose said she is not terribly wor- ried. She is afraid, however, that if war erupts suddenly it will be im- possible to catch an international flight out of Italy. The Michigan program is sched- uled to end Dec. 13, however the University has decided to end the program a week early. I by Christine Kloostra Daily MSA Reporter And you thought Election Day was last week. The Michigan Student Assembly elections kick off today and will continue through tomorrow. The elections will fill 24 seats on the University's student government. Election Director Catherine Fu- gate said she was pleased with how well the election has run so far. " I anticipate a really good turnout and a fair election," she said, adding that student voting would be higher than last fall's election, but would probably not reach the nearly record- setting turnout in the winter term presidential election. Nearly 6,500 students voted in the presidential election. Fugate said an average of 3,000 student voters cast ballots every year in fall elections. Forty-four candidates are vying to represent their schools on the as- sembly. Thirty-nine of the candi- dates are running with one of three parties - Abolitionist, Action, and Conservative Coalition. Six candi- dates are running as independents. Candidates expressed a wide range of sentiments as the election approached. "I'm nervous," Maria Kupillas, a CC candidate said. "I'm glad it's almost over." MSA elections '90 For complete coverage of the elections, turn to page 5. Action candidate Eric Stempien said party members had been speak- ing to students in residence halls and that students were concerned about fighting for their rights. "People feel we're the party that's best fit to do that," he said. Abolitionist candidate Steve Koppelman urged students to vote. "If people don't vote, they won't have any right to whine this next term," he said. Five schools do not have candi- dates to fill their seats - Medicine, Social Work, Dentistry, Education, See ELECTIONS, Page 2 Photo Illustration MICHELLE GUY/D LSA senior Steve McLean copies down the names and addresses of soldiers in the Persian Gulf. McLean is compiling the names for distribution in the English 329 newspaper Homefront. boost troops' University students can follow the Persian Gulf crisis from the comfort of their homes. But for the soldiers of Operation Desert Shield, comfort is a luxury, not a given. The troops of the United States' armed forces are deprived of extensive contact with their friends and family, and sometimes feel that America has forgotten them. This is a problem the students of Prof. Karis Crawford's Practical English class feel needs to be ad- dressed. In response, the students have chosen to design, finance, publish, and distribute approximately 5,000 copies of their own newsletter to Michigan troops stationed in Saudi Arabia to raise the U.S. troops' morale and ease their feel- ings of homesickness. Crawford requires all students in her English 329 class to partic- ipate in a large scale "Corporate Project" in order to learn essential business communications skills. According to the course syllabus, the class must coordinate a large- scale project which: "involves everyone in the workshop" "requires sustained and di- verse efforts of writing" "deals with some social real- ity outside of the classroom." For this term, the class dis- cussed the various possibilities for a large activity, and finally chose the newsletter proposal. The paper was appropriately named, The Homefront. The students are divided into different committees to tackle the enormous responsibilities associ- ated with the production of a pub- lication. "It requires a lot of work out- side of the classroom," said Pat Nagi, an LSA senior and member of Crawford's class. The finance committee has de- termined the project's final cost as $2,133 and has raised $841. The current fundraiser is a jellybean guessing raffle to be held in the Law Quad. The prizes for the raffle winners have been provided by do- nations of local merchants and the hard work of Crawford's students. The greatest single expense is the cost of mailing the actual pa- pers - $1,100. Funds are being sought from the Michigan Student Assembly, but no money has been approved. Another committee was given the responsibility of collecting the names of Michigan soldiers in the Persian Gulf. Working in conjunc- morale tion with the Detroit Free Press' Bob Talbert, Crawford's class has collected approximately 800 names, adding more to the list ev- ery day. Because of its value as a teach- ing tool, Crawford has chosen to let the students run the Home- front. She still acts as an advisor and a teacher of English, but acts mainly as a fellow participant in the activity. "This is a very diffi- cult course to teach because I have to keep my mouth shut," Craw- ford said. "I think in the long run there's a lot more learning." Anyone who would like a friend or relative in Operation Desert Shield to receive a copy of the Homefront should send a let- ter to Steve McLean at 411 E. William, Ann Arbor 48104. MSA by Julie Foster Daily Staff Reporter Michil After extensive deba mua received recogniti Michigan Student Asi night by a nine to fou seven abstentions. Michigamua, an all-n honor society, drew fi Minority Affairs C (MAC) last year because initiation ceremonies u American rituals some s sidered offensive and raci A written agreeme proved last year by mem groups stipulating that] would remove all refere tive American tradition ceremonies. MAC clain mua violated a verbal a meet with them and con necessary changes had be gamua gains recognition Melissa Lopez, an MAC member te, Michiga- who filed the complaint against on from the Michigamua last year, while not sembly last personally speaking for or against ir vote with Michigamua recognition, spoke on behalf of the commission. male campus "The fact that they have not met re from the with us, in the minds of the MAC ommission members, is a violation of the the group's agreement even though it wasn't used Native written in the document," Lopez tudents con- said. st. Michigamua President Paul Mur- nt was ap- phy disagreed. "There is no such ibers of both provision in the agreement," he said. Michigamua Jeff Gauthier, a Rackham rep., %nces to Na- spoke in opposition of Michigamua s from their recognition. "Until MAC is willing ns Michiga- to come here and tell us they're sat- greement to isfied, I don't feel comfortable rec- firm that the ognizing them as a group." en made. See MICHIGAMUA, Page 2 L_ Sunrunner stays in 3rd -by Dave Rheingold Daily Staff Writer AILERON, Australia - The 36 solar-powered entries in the World Solar Challgene 1990 enjoyed their first complete day in the Australian, sun yesterday. The University's vehicle, Sun- runner, remained in third place, 35 miles behind Honda. It finished Day Three about 53 miles north of Alice Springs, the halfway point in this transcontinental race. It has com- pleted 883.6 miles so far, at an aver- age speed of 34.6 mph. The Swiss entry, Ingenierschule Biel, maintained it's lead, 147 miles ahead of Honda, its nearest competi- tor. Despite the clear sky, team strategist and Engineering senior Jeff Pavlat felt the Sunrunner lost an ad- vantage over other cars with the dis- appearance of the previous day's clouds. "Normally the direct sunlight just goes right from the sun to your car, and it radiates out. But if you have some clouds here, all the energy that normally kept going in that direc- tion... hits the clouds, bounces off the clouds," Pavlat said. 'They're way in the heck out there, and the only way that we're going to beat them is if they have... some other major catastrophe' - Frank Stagg, engineering senior The Sunrunner's convex solar ar- ray can receive sunlight from more angles than some of the other cars' flat arrays. Michigan's lead over Western Washington University (WWU) in- creased to 30 miles, after the WWU's vehicle, the fourth place Viking XX, blew two tires on a rocky stretch of the highway. The Sunrunner, as a precaution, rotates three sets of wheels every day. It also uses nitrogen in its tires, which are then less likely to expand on hot pavement. The University of Maryland, after a mildly disappointing start, climbed from 10th to 8th place. The Michi- gan Solar Car Team is more worried about Ingenierschule Biel, though. _ "Chances are that they're way in the heck out there, and the only way that we're going to beat them is if they have a failure or some other major catastrophe," said engineering senior Frank Stagg, who handles fundraising and public relations for the team. Lar rima h Tennant Creek Barrow Creek Alice Springs3 Kulgera Cooper Pedy 1 Pimba i Port Piria' FINISH-:- Adelaide Racing the World The University's Solar Car team completed the third day of the 1,900 mile (3,058 kin) World Solar Q Challenge 1990 Monday The Sunrunner pulled off the road in third place, 183 miles behind the Swiss entry. The Spirit of Biel,' and just 35 miles behind Honda's entry, Hondas Dream.' Western Washington University remained in fourth place despite blowing two tires. Repairs shut off Markley. water by Jon Casden Water in Mary Markley was shut off yesterday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. to install special filters into Markley's pipe system. Cutting the water supply to Markley's residents was the only available option which allowed for the installation of the new filters, said George SanFacon, the University's director of housing fa- cilities. Markley water from faucets and showers sometimes had a reddish tint this year, suggesting a rust build-up in the pipes. The water has posed no threat to the health of Markley residents, however, said SanFacon. Heavy metal poisoning - sometimes caused by rust - usually results in cases of extreme sickness and vomit- ing, and no such incidents have been reported. The installation process for putting in filters is a safe one, said SanFacon. Congress demands larger role in Gulf policies Associated Press President Bush faced Republican demands for a greater congressional role in Persian Gulf policy yester- day, and Saddam Hussein sent his chief deputy to Morocco to discuss proval for Bush's military buildup. Senate Republican Leader Bob Dole said a special session was likely be- fore the end of the year. But presidential press secretary Marlin Fitzwater said, "We don't gether, congress and the president, now to affirm precisely what we're going to do." His comments reflected concerns that several members of the U.S.- dominated alliance against Iraq were a formal declaration of war, but Dole said he wants a "declaration of sup- port and a willingness to commit whatever resources it takes to fulfill the mission." Before leaving Baghdad for Mo- Morocco has contributed 1,700 troops to the multinational force, but it has maintained contact with the Iraqi leadership. Ramadan said Baghdad "sup-