TODAY Sunny, still cold; High: 30, Low: 12. TOMORROW Chance of snow; High: 33, Low: 20. One hundred and one years of editorial freedom IIkIE#I=~ Some fiction writing for your reading pleasure. See WEEKEND. t'nm r n[: '.9 J1 V. C1l No. 30l Ann Arbor, Michigan - Friday, November 8, 1991 .. , -wady YVI. V11 I\V. VV ' I Students express optimism after talks by Karen Pier Daily Staff Reporter In the wake of the Madrid peace talks, many members of University Jewish and Palestinian groups say they are optimistic about the results the talks could eventually have for Arabs and Jews. Many stressed that simply hav- ing the two sides come together was a major step. Valerie Benenzra, an LSA junior and member of Reform Havura - a religious organization for Reform Jews on campus - said, "I think it's a great idea to get together." She said that the talks will be beneficial in the long run since they have al- lowed Palestinians and Israelis to see things from the other's perspective. LSA senior Carole May, of the American Zionist Youth Federation, agreed. "I think it's great," she said of the talks. "I never thought it would happen in my lifetime." Yet LSA senior Evan Albert of the Jewish Learning Network of Michigan said the talks must be viewed with a degree of caution. "I think myself and the Jewish com- munity are cautiously optimistic (about) the chance to sit down and talk with the other side," he said. LSA senior Zeid Zalatimo, a member of the General Union of Palestinian Students - one of two Palestinian student organizations on campus - agreed that getting the countries together for talks was a major step forward but said that au- tonomy for Palestinians would be a good step and that giving up land might eventually be in Israel's best to interest. "Anything that the Palestinians delegation can achieve will be better than the status quo. At this point, it's too early to talk about an inde- See TALKS, Page 2 Magic quits Lakers ( T . aiter i V i INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) - Magic Johnson, the former Michi- gan State standout whose beaming smile and sparkling play entertained basketball fans for more than a decade, announced yesterday that he has tested positive for the AIDS virus and is retiring. "Because of the HIV virus that I have obtained I will have to retire from the Lakers today," Johnson told reporters gathered at the Fo- rum, where he played for 12 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. "I plan on going on, living for a long time... and going on with my life," he said. He added that he planned to become "a spokesperson for the HIV virus" and would cam- paign for safe sex. Both Johnson and the Lakers' physician, Dr. Michael Mellman, said he does not have AIDS, only the virus that leads to it. "I feel really good," Johnson said. "I feel great." Johnson didn't say how he con- tracted the virus, which is usually transmitted through sex or intra- venous drug use. Mellman said he didn't know. But Johnson repeat- edly stressed that "safe sex is the way to go. Johnson, 32, led the Lakers to five NBA championships. He is the most prominent American to an- nounce his infection with human immunodeficiency virus since actor Rock Hudson. More than just a basketball star, Johnson has been a philanthropist, a prominent corporate spokesperson and a role model for young people. His broad grin, familiar nickname and electrifying ability have made him familiar to people around the world. Johnson came in fourth in a re- cent consumer survey of the appeal of athletes as commercial endorsers, ranked behind Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson and Tommy Lasorda. He has endorsed Converse athletic shoes, Slice soft drinks and Kentucky Fried Chicken, among other products. Johnson appeared nervous at the outset of his announcement, but later relaxed and smiled frequently. "I'm going to go on, I'm going to beat it and I'm going to have fun," he insisted, displaying some of the irrepressible zest for life that he brought daily to the basketball court. "What we have witnessed today ignosis is a courageous act by a very brave man," Mellman said. "He is not a person who is invisible, and because of his presence, because of his poten- tial impact on society... I think that he should not only be commended but held as a modern-day hero." Johnson said he found out the fi- nal results of his HIV test on Wednesday. Mellman said Johnson was initially tested for an insurance policy. Johnson, who was married two, months ago, missed the Lakers' first three games this season because of what was described as the flu. On Monday, he was cleared to begin practicing. Mellman said he recommended that Johnson not play professional basketball, or participate in the 1992 Olympics, because of the in- tense level of physical activity both would require. Johnson had been chosen for the U.S. Olympic squad that will play next summer in Madrid. His retirement, coupled with the news of his HIV infection, came as a sharp blow to those who knew him, See MAGIC, Page 15 SHARON MUSHER;Daily Krista Bray, a Dickens Preschool student, drinks healthy milk after a visit from University medical students. The medical students taught Krista and her classmates not to be afraid of doctors. Med. students teach children to say 'h Johnson East Lansing residents stunned by Johnson news by Jennifer Silverberg Daily Staff Reporter University medical students are attempting to make preschool children's visits to the doctor less traumatic by acquainting them with the procedures and instru- ments used by pediatricians. Through the Preschool and Elementary School Health Promotion and Awareness Program, about 75 first- and sec- ond-year medical students have made presentations at four Ann Arbor preschools this year. "We show children what doc- tors do and make them less intimi- dated by us and more comfortable with doctors," said Andrea Soulliere, a first-year medical school stident,.and co-coordinator of the program. At each presentation, medical students - robed in white coats - allow the children to play with various instruments of the medical profession including: a stetho- scope; an ophthalmoscope, a tool to examine the eyes; an otoscope, a See MEDICAL, Page 2 by Ken Davidoff and Jeff Sheran Daily Sports Writers EAST LANSING - The com- munity in which Earvin "Magic" Johnson grew up and attended col- lege reacted with shock to Johnson's retirement from professional bas- ketball yesterday. The 6-foot-9 Lak- ers point guard ended his formidable" 12-year career at a press conference after testing positive for the HIV virus. Michigan State basketball coach Jud Heatheote, who coached Johnson during the Spartans' NCAA cham- pionship season in 1979, paid tribute to Johnson in a press release last night. "This is a sad day for all of bas- ketball, including Spartan basket- ball," Heathcote said. "I've always said, when Earvin retires from the .game, he will go down in history as the greatest guard ever to play the game. That is the case today. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family." Michigan State students sat glued to the large-screen television in the student union while Johnson held his 6 p.m. news conference. Af- terwards, they all expressed similar disbelief. "I'm just shocked," sophomore See REACTION, Page 15 DPSS opens new branch in North Campus Commons Company preserves rare and common texts with microfilm by Melissa Peerless Daily Crime Reporter The University Department of Public Safety and Security (DPSS) opened a satellite office at the North Campus Commons yesterday. The new location will be used primarily as a base for officers pa- trolling the North Campus area. "We basically built this office to bring our department closer to the students," said Sgt. David Betts, an officer who will be working at the North Campus branch. Betts said when a student on North Campus calls University po- lice with an emergency or a com- plaint, the call will still reach DPSS at its central campus location on Church Street. The officers who respond to the call, however, will return to the North Campus Commons office to fill out the case- related paperwork. They will also use the office for a haven during their breaks from action. Betts added that several officers will be assigned exclusively to North Campus now that a base of- fice exists there. He said North Campus used to be a shift given to officers for only days at a time. "From now on, officers will work on North Campus for periods of up to nine months. We want to keep the same people on patrol there so students will get to know them and be friendly with them," he added. DPSS Director Leo Heatley said the implementation of a DPSS branch on North Campus has been an integral part of the department's long-term plan since the beginning. "We thought of this center even before we deputized our police force," Heatley said. He added that DPSS will not be adding more officers specifically to staff the new location. "We are taking the same number of people and assigning them to the two branches. We are continuing in our pattern of gradually increasing our numbers and phasing in more of- See DPSS, Page 2 by Eden Schafer Need to see the Gutenberg Bible? Want to view one of the ear- liest printed versions of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales? Would reading the scrapbooks of Winston Churchill give you the edge you were looking for on that history paper? All of this and more can be found on microfilms in the vaults of University Microfilms International (UMI), an informa- tion resource company with its in- ternational headquarters located on the outskirts of Ann Arbor. UMI claims to have more in- formation in its collection than any other institution in the country other than the Library of Congress. In its 25,000 square feet of climate- controlled vaults, UMI stores the equivalent of over 570 million pages of material, ranging from doctoral dissertations to telephone directories. The company was founded in 1938 by Eugene Power, a pioneer in the microphotography field. Power was a University regent from 1956 until 1966, when he resigned amid controversy. Claims were made that as head of UMI, Power had overseen the making of illegal profits through the sale of theses written by University students, and had used a room at the Undergraduate Library for com- mercial practices without paying rent to the University. Power started UMI by making microfilm copies of rare books available to the scholastic market, in part an effort to preserve impor- tant sources and make them more widely available for research. In 1938, he traveled to England to be- gin an exhaustive program of mi- crofilming collections in museums and libraries to ensure their safety during World War II. Since then, UMI has expanded its focus and now produces micro- film copies of virtually every type of information source. According See MICROFILM, Page 2 SARN MUNSHERaily Todd Rumler, preservation specialist, takes pictures from a book about Madagascar, which University Microfilms acquired from the 1913 Northwestern Library collection. Renovation of North Campus Commons gives students variety by JoAnne Viviano Daily Staff Reporter With the renovation of the North Campus Commons, students good product and getting it out fast,"he added. Some students said they appreci- ate the convenience and added vari- Caesar's is better than ... just having what's upstairs." Yet other students said they ob- ject to the change. T. ..... , ....., . .. . . .. .] n T i 1. patterns at all," said Ron Swedlund, graduate student in the School of Music. "Even Sunday night, most people I know send out for pizza." cafeteria's attendance levels, but might prove beneficial in the long run. "It's a little early to tell. It UIT