The Michigan Daily - Monday, November 30, 1992 -- Page 3


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Group to
cover art
for AIDS
awareness
by Jen DiMascio
Daily Staff Reporter
Pranksters will not be responsible
for canvass covering local artwork,
structures and store window displays
tomorrow.
: As part of the Worldwide AIDS
Awareness Day, Dec. 1 a core group
of five volunteers will bring "A Day
Without Art" to the U-M campus.
Members of the U-M branch of
Visual AIDS, said "A Day Without
Art" symbolically extends the mes-
sage of AIDS awareness by covering
artwork for the day.
A presentation scheduled to take
place at noon on the Diag will in-
cludes two speakers, artists, poets,
dancers, vocalists, and musicians.
"You don't know what you're
missing, in terms of art, unless you
acknowledge that it's there in the
first place," said LSA junior and Vi-
sual AIDS member Bret Havey.
In addition to the presentation,
Visual AIDS-U-M plans to cover lo-
cal artwork and canvass the campus
with brochures, posters and the Vi-
sual AIDS symbol - an inverted
"V" made of red ribbon.
LSA junior and U-M Visual
AIDS founder Tami Pollak said the
ribbon provides a way to show sup-
port for AIDS awareness without
having to spend time or money -
both of which are scarce for most
students.
When AIDS Awareness Day is
over, Pollak said the group will con-
tinue its combat against AIDS igno-
rance on three levels - education
through statistics demonstrating the
severity of the AIDS epidemic,
teaching people how to protect
themselves against AIDS virus, and
sending volunteers to organizations
where they may help advance the
struggle against the disease.
Visual AIDS on the U-M campus
is the offspring of Visual AIDS-New
York. The parent organization began
in the New York art community in
1988.

Control of state
House uncertain
at end of session

Where's Santa?
Three children, Kristyne, Grant and Leigh Cole, wait with their mother, Erin, for Santa Claus to
lunch break at.Briarwood Mall.

MOLLY STEVENS/Daily
come back from his

Angry parents put Michigan Model health
course on trial in White Pigeon schools

LANSING (AP) - With control
of the House in the next session still
uncertain, Michigan lawmakers plan
this week to approve a temporary
ban on assisted suicide, handle a few
other details and call it quits for the
year.
Among the little-discussed issues
which could see action is whether to
extend a law governing the home-
stead property tax credit program. If
the law is not extended, aides say, el-
igibility for relief could be broad-
ened at a potential cost to the state of
about $50 million.
While most "lame duck" ses-
sions see a flurry of activity before
all unpassed bills die at the end of
the two-year session in December,
this year action is nearly frozen by
the 55-55 tie created in the House by
the Nov. 3 election.
Neither party wants to proceed
until it's clear who will control the
House next year. Recounts are
scheduled in six districts, and could
tip the partisan advantage one way
or theother.
"It's our intent not to have a
lame duck session," said Senate
Majority Leader Dick Posthumus
(R-Alto). "It's not a healthy session
for democracy. You have people
who are voting on legislation, which
is going to affect the future of the
citizens of the state, who are no
longer held accountable to them."
The outgoing Democratic major-
ity in the House made its bid for
continued control last week by pass-
ing a rules change that, in the case of
a tie like the one looming for the
House, would keep the current ma-
jority part in control in the new ses-
sion. Meanwhile, fierce behind-the-
scenes cajoling and arm-twisting is
expected in hopes of convincing a
lawmaker or two to cross sides.
Riding on the outcome are the
chairs of every House committee,
the ability to set the House agenda

LANSING (AP) - A controver-
sial health course has had a trial by
fire and soon may have a trial in the
courts.
After three years of preliminary
sparring, the last round of arguments
on motions to dismiss a lawsuit over
the Michigan Model for Com-
prehensive School Education is
scheduled for tomorrow in St.
Joseph County Circuit Court.
The lawsuit pits a school
district's authority to select
curriculum against parents' beliefs
on the appropriate education of their
children. It was filed in 1989 by 17
parents against the White Pigeon
Community Schools, the state and
the Calhoun Intermediate School
District.
The parents claim the Michigan

Model undermines parental
authority.
"The Michigan Model hurts
children," said Theresa Wilkins, one
of the parents. "It's a program that
was not written with the child's
interests in mind."
The Michigan Model was first
used in Michigan schools in the
1984-85 school year. Local schools
are free to use all, part or none of the
program, designed for grades
kindergarten through eight. More
than I million children in 144 pri-
vate schools and 525 public school
districts are taught health courses
based on parts of the model.
It covers disease prevention and
control, personal health practices,
nutrition, growth and development,
family health, substance abuse, con-

sumer health, safety and first aid,
community health and emotional and
mental health.
The parents' lawsuit claims that
teachers who use the curriculum are
practicing psychiatry without a li-
cense. Parents also contend the
course violates their right to privacy
with discussions on death, sex abuse
and ways to escape from their home
during a fire.
The suit asks for a declaration
that the course in illegal and that its
use be barred.
Judge James Noecker is expected
to rule later on the motions to dis-
miss the lawsuit. The case could go
to trial next year if he refuses to-
dismiss it.

and all the other advantages of
holding majority power.
The main issue facing the
Legislature this week is the assisted
suicide bill. The House passed the
measure last week, and the Senate is
expected to follow suit on Thursday.
Gov. John Engler is expected to sign
it quickly.
The measure, which would take
effect early next spring, would make
assisted suicide a felony until Jan. 1,
1995, six months after a citizens
commission's deadline for recom-
mending to the Legislature whether
to permit assisted suicide and regu-
late it or permanently make it a
crime.
The measure would impose a
penalty of up to four years in prison,
a $2,000 fine or both for any person
who assists a suicide.
Other bills in position for final
action, if the Legislature decides to
take it, are measures to ban discrim-
ination in hiring and pay against
workers who smoke on their own
time; a billrestricting local govern-
ments' ordinances designed to pro-
tect small wetlands; and bills to out-
law "stalking," or the following and
harassment of women.
Both Posthumus and deputy state
Treasurer Nick Khouri said a bill
will likely be passed to continue two
provisions of the homestead property
tax credit program. If the provisions
lapse at the end of the year, officials
said, people receiving welfare or
earning between $73,650 and
$83,650 a year would be eligible for
full credits.
Now, welfare recipients are not
eligible and the credit is phased out
at the higher income levels.
The expanded credits could cost
the state $50 million, experts said.
Christmas
economy
looks good,
analysts say
NEW YORK (AP) - Americans
shopped enthusiastically during the
Thanksgiving weekend, showing
signs of ending a long Christmas
buying drought and giving retailers
an encouraging start to the holiday
season.
Several big retailers reported
yesterday that business was up
sharply from the depressed levels of
a year ago. But they also noted that
sales remained weak in California,
which has lagged behind the rest of
the country in recovering from the
recession.
But retailers also remained wary,
perhaps remembering the disappoint-
ing holiday seasons of 1989, 1990
and 1991.
"At this point, we're still cau-
tiously optimistic about the balance
of the season," Matt Howard, senior
vice president for marketing for
Sears, Roebuck and Co. said.
There are still signs that many

consumers, while feeling better
about the economy and shopping
this Christmas, are again working
within a tight budget.
The torrid pace of the first week-
end is likely io slack off in the first
week of December, then pick up in
the last 10 days of the season, if the
pattern of previous years holds.
Economists and retail industry
analysts say this could be the best
holiday season since 1988.

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Drive-by shooting
* leaves I injured
A drive-by shooting Saturday
night resulted in the hospitalization
,of a man at the University Hospitals.
According to Ann Arbor Police re-
ports, two cars were stopped at the
Packard and Platt intersection. After
the drivers of the cars exchanged
words, the victim drove through the
intersection. The second car fol-
lowed and one occupant of the ve-
,hicle allegedly shot the driver with a
sawed-off shotgun. The bullet went
'through the side window of the car
,and hit the victim.
The victim was taken to the
University Hospitals and treated and
released. The police currently have
two suspects in custody, but have
,not discerned a motive for the
shooting.
Unarmed robbers
jump man, steal
wallet
A man walking on the 600 block
of Church St. was the victim of an

unarmed robbery at 1:11 a.m.
yesterday morning when he was
jumped from behind by two people.
According to Ann Arbor Police re-
ports, the suspects forced the victim
to the ground and took his wallet
before fleeing. Police have no
suspects.
PoliceQ
Ann Arbor Police
nab purse-snatcher
at local gas station
Police arrested a man driving a
stolen car from a gas station on
Plymouth and Parkway Saturday
night. According to Ann Arbor
Police reports, the driver left the gas
station without paying for gas. The
police officer pulled the car over af-
ter recognizing the vehicle as stolen.
The driver was also allegedly in-

volved in purse snatchings at
Arborland Mall Saturday and at
Briarwood Mall last week.
Man reports
money stolen at
U-M hospital
According to U-M Department of
Public Safety (DPS) reports, a man
reported $15 stolen from his wallet
stored in a closet at the University
Hospitals Saturday afternoon at3:13
p.m. Police do not have any
suspects.
False alarm pulled
at U-M hospital
According to DPS reports, false
fire alarm was pulled in the nuclear
medicine area of the University
Hospitals at 10:21 a.m. Saturday
morning. Maintenance reset the sys-
tem and gave clearance at 12:13 p.m.
- by Henry Goldblatt
Daily News Editor

Student groups
U Environmental Action Coali-
tion, meeting, School of Natu-
ral Resources,Room 1040, 7
p.m.
D Indian American Students As-
sociation, board meeting,
Michigan League, Room A, 7
p.m.
Q Newman Catholic Student As-
sociation, Bible Study, 7:30
p.m.; RCIA, 7 p.m.; Saint Mary
Student Chapel, 331 Thompson
St.
U Shorin-Ryu Karate-Do Club,
practice, CCRB, Martial Arts
Room, 7:45-8:45 p.m.
U U-M Archery Club, practice,
Snorts Coliseum. 8-10 n.m.

works presentation, School of
Music, Recital Hall, 8 p.m.
) "Focus on Michigan," photog-
raphy contest, City of Ann Ar-
bor Parks and Recreation
Department, last day to enter,
contact Irene Bushaw 994-2780.
L Food Drive for Emergency
Shelters, People's Food Co-op,
212 N. Fourth Ave., collecting
through November 30.
Ll Guild House Writers' Series,
writers reading from their own
works, Guild House Campus
Ministry, 802 Monroe St., 8:30-
10 P.M.
U Native American Month Clos-
ing Reception, presentation,
Michigan Union. Pendleton

Student services
d Northwalk Nighttime Safety
Walking Service, Bursley Hall,
lobby, 763-WALK, 8p.m. -1:30
a.m.
" Pre-Kwanzaa Celebration,
housing special programs, prin-
ciple: UMOJA/UNITY, Alice
Lloyd Re entialHall,UMOJA
Lounge, p.m.
" Psychology Undergraduate
Peer Advising, sponsored by
Department of Psychology,
WestQuad,Room K210, 10a.m.
- 4p.m.
J Safewalk Nighttime Safety
WralnaQ.rv.r:P ITM i nh

How many shopping days left?
Leah Cameron, a Pioneer High School student, gift wraps books at a
local bookstore. Many students find temporary employment at local
stores which increase personnel during the holiday season.


Sell it ...fmd it?
The Daily
Classifieds!

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Dear new assistant-account executives,
WELCOt4ETO TE MICHIGC JOAIL. .


a

ANNARbOR I&T

Matt Brady

Marc Edwards


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