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One hundred and one years of editorial freedom
Visit the folks
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See WEEKEND etc.
Vol. CII, No. 62 Ann Arbor, Michigan - Thursday, January 23, 1992 TMchganDaly
Opposing beliefs
debated during
abortion rally
by Gwen Shaffer Although the issue of abortion always
Daily Women's Issues Reporter evokes strong emotions, this is especially true
A Students for Life rally was overtaken by now, as the Supreme Court reconsiders its
members of the Ann Arbor Committee to 1973 decision to legalize abortion. In addi-
Defend Abortion and Reproductive Rights tion, abortion is expected to be a major cam-
(AACDARR) yesterday on the Diag. paign issue in the upcoming presidential
The rally was planned as one of several election.
activities this week commemorating the 19th Milanowski said she believes politiciansa
anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme have changed their agendas to gain wider
Court decision. voter-support.
Before Students for Life had begun to "It's dangerous for politicians to come out y
speak, members of AACDARR blocked the and take a strong pro-life stand, but it is okay
steps to the Graduate Library and began for them to take a strong pro-choice stand,"
chanting pro-choice slogans, such as "Back said Milanowski
alleys no more, abortion rights for workers LSA senior Mitchell Klein said he at
and poor." tended the rally in support of keeping abor-
For nearly 30 minutes, the raucous shout- tion legal because "the right-to-life move-wy
ing and sloganeering of the pro-choice ment has infiltrated the entire political pro-
demonstrators prevented the scheduled cess."
Students for Life speaker Karen Keitzman Students for Life Co-Chair Bridget,-.
from beginning her speech. Hamilton said she does not believe the ag-
"We have a permit to be on the steps of gressive tactics used by AACDARR are ef
the Grad and they violently took over the fective in gaining support for their cause.
stage. They literally pushed us off," said "AACDARR shows that they are not in- KRISTOFFER GILLETTE/Daily
Carolyn Milanowski, co-chair of Students for terested in dialogue and educating the com- Pro-choice advocate Linda Ar (left) haggles with an unidentified man and a pro-life supporter, on the Diag yesterday
Life. munity. Our purpose for being here is to give during an abortion rally where emotions ran high on both sides of the issue.
But pro-choice supporters said even information and the truth, not to create con- " ! u"
though the pro-lifers had obtained a speaking troversy," Hamilton said.-rcho j ' ' activists raid vi
permit, they had just as much right to have Some people watching the demonstrations
their voices heard in the University's central said they were baffled by AACDARR's
gathering place. platform, which the group described as "pro- by Gwen Shaffer that have died over the past 19 years, or- (AACDARR) members chose to counter-
Over the dissenting chanters, Keitzman - choice, anti-racist, pro-gay, and pro-working- Daily Women's Issues Reporter ganizers said. demonstrate.
who had an abortion herself 22 years ago and class." Religious hymns clashed with shouts Several police cars escorted the Pro- "Considering the creative epitaphs in
now operates a home for young women and "They are trying to incorporate a lot of of "Born again bigots go away" for the Life Network of Washtenaw County spon- their signs, you have to wonder what their
their babies - told the crowd that there are issues and that is good. But they lose broad second time yesterday when pro-choice sored march from the Rackham Building motives are," said University medical stu-
psychological effects for women who have support when they gravitate toward mili- demonstrators successfully interrupted to the Washtenaw County Courthouse. dent John La Grand. "Their slander is not
abortions. tancy," said Natural Resources sophomore anti-abortion activists during a scheduled About 300 people participated in the can- a charitable way of making their views
"Abortion comes back to haunt women. It Fred Werner. vigil last night. dlelight vigil. known."
is a choice, but not an informed choice," she Jenna Randels, an AACDARR member, The candlelight vigil, which continued Pro-life supporters said they were not Some marchers said they were not
said. "Abortion is like a pebble dropping into explained that her organization finds the despite the disruptions, was intended to surprised that Ann Arbor Committee to disturbed by the tactics used by
the water - those ripples go out." See RALLY, Page 2 mourn the lives of the millions of babies Defend Abortion and Reproductive Rights See VIGIL, Page 2
State of
State gets
mixed
* reviews
by Barry Cohen
Daily Government Reporter
Government and party officials
reacted with mixed reviews to Gov.
John Engler's education and eco-
nomic proposals unveiled in his
State of the State address Tuesday
evening.
His speech stressed increased
economic opportunity for the
state's workers.
Engler also presented programs,
such as the Michigan College
Savings Bonds proposal, to improve
the state's school system, enabling
Michigan's educators to prepare
students to compete in an increas-
ingly competitive job market.
State Rep. Perry Bullard (D-Ann
Arbor) was especially critical of
* Engler' s proposals. He said no
money is earmarked specifically for
higher education in the treasury. Of
the state's revenues, 41 percent, is
set aside for specific purposes, and
the rest is placed in a general fund to
support, among other areas, higher
education, the needy, the handi-
capped and the sick, Bullard said.
Engler's "cut and cap" proposal
is a cornerstone of his economic re-
covery plan and consists of a 30 per-
cent reduction across the board in
school property taxes. If it passes,
the refunds will be drawn from the
state's general fund.
The tax-break proposal will be
phased in over a 4 and a half year pe-
riod, decreasing the general fund by
$2.5 billion.
The problem with "cut and cap,"
Perry added, is that Engler has not
proposed any means to replace the
iiF 5
DOUG KANTER/Daily
Name that tune
Student DJ Rachel Herman cues up a record at the University's radio station, WCBN, located in the basement
of the Student Activities Building. The radio station is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
Fight breaks out at
Sigma Chi, case is
under investigation
by Lauren Dermer
Daily Crime Reporter
Reports have been filed with the
Ann Arbor Police regarding a fight
that broke out between four women
and four men at the Sigma Chi fra-
ternity at approximately 3:00 a.m.
on Monday.
According to both the men and
women involved in the incident, the
women entered the attic of the fra-
ternity looking for a friend and then
were asked to leave after being told
she was not there.
One woman involved, who
spoke on condition of anonymity,
said the women reentered the attic
after becoming concerned when they
saw another woman passed out on a
bed in an adjacent room, alone with
a man.
Both parties agreed that a verbal
argument started and that beer was
thrown on the women as they left
the room once again.
However, the men and women's
description of the resulting physical
fight differ.
The woman interviewed said
they were verbally abused - called
"bitches," "sluts," and told to "get
the fuck out." As a result, one
woman punched a man in the face.
A statement issued to the Daily
last night by Sigma Chi President
Niko Dounchis, however, said, "The
only provocation for this assault was
the poured beer."
The woman who punched the
man was wrestled to the ground,
See SIGMA CHI, Page 2
Decline of auto industry will impact on University
Administrators say plant closings and layoffs will have a deep effect on the A2 community
by Bethany Robertson
Daily Staff Reporter
The ripple effect caused by the
weakening auto industry will not
leave the University community un-
touched - even those with no direct
ties to the business.
In fact, University administra-
tors say, plant closings and person-
nel cutbacks could have long term
effects causing serious adjustments
for students, faculty and the Ann
Arbor community.
Smaller research grants, a
tougher job market, and an increased
need for student financial aid may be
some University symptoms of the
ailing auto business.
Of the "big three" auto compa-
niec_ General Motors (GM) has been
that while the loss of jobs is always
a concern, the loss of tax revenue
and peripheral businesses is a greater
problem in the long run.
"That will be a tremendous
shock in a community like this,"
Cole said. When jobs leave the state
so do taxpayers. "Instead of con-
tributing to taxes, they're gone,"
Cole added.
Increased numbers of students
needing financial aid may be another
effect of the GM cuts, said Harvey
Grotrian, director of the Office of
Financial Aid. Grotrian said there
has been no increase in applications
attributable to the GM cuts so far,
but that the economy over the past
few years has made students more
nervoa in genera lhout naving for
whose parents are borrowing
against retirement reserves. That
certainly does not bode well for the
family's financial status," Grotrian
said.
Some students with parents em-
ployed by GM said they have not
felt a real financial strain yet. LSA
first-year student Kant Shaw said
that when GM's announcement first
own programs, Grotrian said he ex-
pects financial aid funding to be
protected.
"The University has a very
strong commitment to keep the
University accessible," he said.
Even students whose parents are
not employed by the auto industry
may be affected by GM cuts, espe-
cially when they attempt to enter
Fewer companies are coming to
campus to recruit, so May said stu-
dents must be more aggressive when
they are looking for employment.
"Don't get immobilized, get en-
ergized, that's my message to stu-
dents," she said.
Students looking for jobs are not
the only people who will have to be
more aggressive. University re-
searchers are also feeling some pres-
sure to get research grants, said
Alan Steiss, director of the
University's Division for Research
Development and Administration.
In 1991, GM sponsored $470,000 in
research projects while Ford Motor
Company funded $5 million of re-
search work.
In the past few years, Steiss said
"Don't get immobilized, get energized, that's
my message to students,"
- Deborah May
Career Planning and Placement Director