PatyTODAY Patysunny, warm; High: 81, Low: 54. TOMORROW Pleasant; High: 77, Low: 54. A century of editorial freedom Ii~iFa: Return of the crossword puzzle. See Page 10. Vol. CI, 142 Ann Arbor, Michigan - Friday, September 6, 1991 Copyght 01991 The Michigan Daily " 0 Michigan opens season at Boston by Theodore Cox Daily Football Writer Wolverine fans should enjoy this weekend's football game all they can, because the next couple of weeks could get rough. Michigan begins the 1991 campaign with an easy opponent in Boston College, before playing four straight games against top 25 teams. That Michigan won't lose its ,season opener to Notre Dame for the first time in four years is another reason to relax. The Fighting Irish can wait a week. This is a chance for the Wolverines to flex /their mus- cles. Unfortunately for BC, Michigan has decided they are not going to look a game ahead. "We just set our goals the other night," Michigan offensive tackle xGreg Skrepenak said. "We are going to play week-by-week, game-by- game. We've put Notre Dame and Florida State in the back of our minds." The Eagles opened their season last weekend with a 20-13 loss to Rutgers. Rookie coach Tom Cough- lin's tenure got off to a rocky start Kremlin loses power to new Soviet gov't MOSCOW (AP) - In a dra- matic break with seven decades of iron-fisted Kremlin rule, lawmak- ers yesterday approved the creation of an interim government to usher in a new confederation of sovereign states and put a graceful end to the disintegrating Soviet Union. After three days of stormy de- bate and intense back-room negotiat- ing, the 1,900-member Congress of People's Deputies declared a transi- tion period to a "new system of state relations." The measure they approved envi- sions a voluntary union based on in- dependence and territorial integrity for the republics, and enshrines democracy and human rights. President Mikhail Gorbachev praised the lawmakers, saying they "rose to the occasion" at a crucial juncture in Soviet history. "Tremendous renewal has cer- tainly taken place," he told the Tass news agency later. "The Soviet Union is finished," Reformist Lawmaker Arkady Murashov told reporters. The lawmakers' overwhelming endorsement of Gorbachev's re- structuring plan capped three weeks of dizzying change that began with a coup by hard-liners and triggered the collapse of central authority and the Communist Party. All but five of the 15 Soviet re- publics have declared independence, and Gorbachev was poised to for- mally recognize the first of them - the three Baltic states. He said he and his new State Council would act Thursday on Baltic independence. Gorbachev dominated the huge and raucous parliament, squelching debate and refusing to accept pro- posals from the chamber. "I will not yield the microphone to anyone from the floor!" he said as some deputies tried to speak. "Either make a decision or not. That's all!" After Wednesday's session, Gorbachev sent lawmakers into cau- cuses, where they were subjected to arm-twisting by republic leaders who had helped put together the See SOVIET, Page 2 Lawmakers leave the Congress of the People's Deputies at the Kremlin yesterday, after perhaps the last meeting of the Soviet legislative body. The Congress virtually voted itself out of existence. Legislators debate merits of out-of-state enrollment caps at Michigan universities by Bethany Robertson Daily Administration Reporter Four years after an informal agreement was struck limiting"the proportion of out-of-state students enrolled in Michigan universities, state legislators are debating whether that balance should be mandated by law. Although caps limiting the number of out-of-state students to 30 percent would apply to all state universities, much of the attention has focused on the University of Michigan, which traditionally at- tracts many out-of-state students. "Many legislators have gotten angry letters from constituents who have had students apply to the University of Michigan... and they couldn't get in," explained Alaina Campbell, legislative director of the Michigan Collegiate Coalition (MCC), a student lobbying group Other universities say 'U' will grab all top high school graduates if 70-30 proportion remains M's Martin Davis when BC's Jay Clark fumbled the opening kickoff at the Eagles' 25- yard line, setting up Rutgers' first touchdown. "We really established nothing on offense throughout the day," Coughlin said. "Defensively, we did play well in the second half. I thought we stabilized them." See OPENER, Page 21 based in Lansing. The University has held the number of out-of-state undergradu- ate students to under 30 percent for the past few years, said Richard Kennedy, vice president for Government Relations. Next week a conference committee of the Michigan House and Senate higher education appropriation subcom- mittees will address whether the cap should remain in place. Rep. Morris Hood (D-Detroit), head of the house subcommittee, supports keeping a limit on the number of out-of-state students. Sen. John Schwarz (D-Battle Creek), Hood's counterpart, opposes legis- lation which removes authority from the public universities. "It's not up to the legislature to micromanage the universities," said Scott Sowulewski, an aide to Schwarz. Schwarz has also said that if uni- versities are forced to take 70 per- cent of their students from within the state, schools such as the University will be taking all the best students away from other state schools. The pool of high school graduates has been shrinking over the past few years, and there is a concern that there are fewer good students to go around. "We are obviously taking a larger and larger share of that pool," Kennedy said. "That is a con- cern for some of the other state schools. We continue to siphon off all the best students from Michigan." But Campbell said that even though the number of high school graduates is decreasing, enrollment figures have remained constant as more adults return to college. The University has not taken a position on the issue, Kennedy said, but university administrators were a part of the process which origi- nally approved the 70-30 split in 1987. "We would not deliberately run contrary to a deal we were a party to in the first place," Kennedy said. Kennedy also questioned the con- stitutio'nality of the state control- ling University policy. City building codes delay fall opening of private student dorm by David Rheingold ferent building codes - I "Technically, the legislature cannot mandate who we admit and who we. cannot admit," Kennedy said. However, there are ways to en- force proposals without legislation, Campbell said. In 1987, the University was threatened with funding cuts if they did not comply with the state's proposal. Kennedy said that.even if there was no limit on the number of out- of-state students the student popu- lation would probably not change dramatically. "I can't imagine that there would be a very drastic change," Kennedy said. He estimated that when th . cap was first discussed in 1987, 34 percent of University students were out-of-state. Legislators will continue to dis- cuss the proposal as a part of this year's budget negotiations. Jewish New Year poses dilemma for students by Elizabeth Marshall It happens every year. The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, always falls in the months of September and October, but rarely during the first days of the semester. The University has instructed professors to recognize and be sensi- tive to potential conflicts, yet many students are unaware of the unwrit- ten policy and fear being dropped from class lists if they are absent. In a July 25 letter, Gilbert Whitaker, provost and vice presi- dent for Academic Affairs, asked that professors be "sensitive and accommodating" and that wait list actions be postponed until Wednesday. "We should all be aware that the coincidence of a major religious hol- iday with the start of the term will impose special problems for some students and faculty," he wrote. However, Mary Koukhab, an The conversion of the former Ann Arbor Inn to a private student dormitory has been delayed until at least winter semester. - .The city recently required an upgrade of the building's fire emergency system before open- ing its doors. Neil Gorosh, a partner in the Southfield firm of LoPatin Co., plans to work with the Santa Monica, Calif.-based firm of Pacific Ho- tel Associates to convert the vacated hotel, located on the corner of Fourth and Huron streets, into a dormitory. However, repairs have delayed his initial hopes of opening this fall, he said. "The best case scenario is that it's opened on some basis during the winter term," Gorosh said. "I'd like to have it open February or March so students can take a look at it." Larry Pickel, planning review director for the Ann Arbor Building Department, said the building can "compartmentize" its rooms by dividing the floor area into smaller units con- "The legal use of existing structures can continue," he said. "When the use is changed, we take a look at what changes are required for the building code and then we apply them." Pickel added, "The only problem with the building code is that we can't apply it to all existing buildings. We have buildings right now that need sprinkler systems." In addition to the delay, Pitamber Enter- prises, a Roseville, Calif., firm, has expressed interest in purchasing the building. But Gorosh said he is still committed to converting the building into a student dorm. "They have an interest, but right now, it's not for sale," he said. Gorosh purchased the building in March. He said that although its cost will probably be higher than that of University housing, it will provide such luxuries as maid, secretar- ial, and laundry services. ,-.: ., - 1 ,