Although February has been designated Black
Histroy Month, we need to realize that the
contributions of African Americans to our society
deserve recognition year-round.
A recent court ruling is forcing Louisiana to take a
closer look at its higher education system. The
move has students and university officials
debating the merits of racially divided colleges.
The Michigan hockey team heads back into Ohio
this weekend to take on the Bowling Green
Falcons, trying to avenge last week's heartbreaking
overtime loss to Miami.
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One hundred two years of editorial freedom
Vol. Clll, No. 79 Ann Arbor, Michigan - Friday, February 12,1993 ©1993 The Michigan Daily
Campus prepares to observe Black History Month
by Tanisha Harris The week has since escalated into and film festivals are some of the "African Americans, as other achievements of African America
Daily Staff Reporter its present form, an entire month that featured activities that will highlight ethnic groups, are proud of their but many African Americans sa
[ns
ay
Many facets of the University
community are banding together to
help the campus celebrate Black
History Month with activities and
events. Commemoration organizers
and students said they have high
hopes for a meaningful holiday.
"It's important that we appreciate
the past and present achievements of
our history. That's what we're all
about," said Robbie Dye, Housing
Coordinator of Project Awareness.
Carter Woodson's plan for setting
aside a week to celebrate the ac-
complishments of African
Americans has come a long way
since its 1926 debut as "Negro
History Week."
Cagers
hope to
close gap
at Indiana
*by Ryan Herrington
Daily asket ball Writer
There is some irony in what
Juwan Howard said about this
Sunday's matchup between No. 4
Michigan and top-ranked Indiana.
When the sophomore center was
asked what the Wolverines needed
to change from the last time they
met the Hoosiers, he had a simple
reply.
"The outcome," Howard quickly
responded.
While Howard might be stating
the obvious, there is little Michigan
could have improved upon when it
first faced the Hoosiers last month in
Crisler Arena. The Wolverines had a
chance at victory on their last
possession but missed a three-
pointer and had an attempted put-
back blocked away at the buzzer,
falling to Indiana, 76-75.
Ever since that Jan. 12
heartbreak, Michigan has focused on
Valentine's Day, when it could
avenge the loss against the Hoosiers.
Even last Wednesday, when the
Wolverines played sloppily against
an undermanned Wisconsin squad,
85-66, it seemed that the players had
something else on their mind. When
asked about the ragged play,
Michigan's Chris Webber, who led
the team with 21 points, explained
much of what the players have been
going through.
"I know you can't look past the
task at hand, but Indiana's been
haunting us since we lost that
game," Webber said.
Yet revenge is not the lone
motivation for Michigan as it heads
to Bloomington. The Wolverines' 8-
2 conference record (19-3 overall)
places them two full games behind
Indiana (10-0, 21-2) in their quest
for the Big Ten title. With the
conference schedule slowly
dwindling away, another loss -
See CAGERS, Page 12
combines the past legacies of Black
inventors and leaders such as
Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr.,
W.E.B. DuBois and Marcus Garvey,
with current contributors to Black
culture including Spike Lee, Jesse
Jackson, Dr. Mae C. Jemison and
Colin Powell.
Celebrational activities for Black
History Month will begin with cul-
tural activities sponsored by various
departments on campus - such as
the Housing Division-Housing
Special Programs - which attempt
to give all students an insight into
some aspects of black culture.
Special dinners in the residence
halls, poetry and literature readings
Black culture.
Black History Month activities
are not only for Blacks, but tend to
be learning experiences for all peo-
ple, regardless of race or ethnicity,
organizers said.
"It's an opportunity for me to
learn about my ancestors and his-
tory. I know that there are other
African American contributors be-
sides Martin Luther King who are of
significance and worthy of recogni-
tion," said Erica Blackwell, an LSA
sophomore.
For Barbara Robinson, African
American representative of Minority
Student Services, this month is a
time of exchange between cultures.
heritage. It's a matter of sharing this
information with people of other
backgrounds ... It's a matter of
education."
The issue of student apathy to-
ward the commemoration does not
take away from the month's spirit of
struggle, endurance and success.
"Student turn-out is not as great
as I would like but I realize that on a
college campus, you're competing
with all sorts of other programs and
activities. We would like for all of
our programs to be filled to capacity,
but even if they are not, we're send-
ing a message," Dye said.
February may be the month set
aside to celebrate and recognize the
they recognize the fact that history is
made every day and learning about
Black culture or any other culture
should be celebrated all year.
"Black history should be learned
every day. There shouldn't just be
one month set aside for learning
about black culture. It's a learning
process that should begin when
you're a child - not at the univer-
sity level," said Vontrice Watson, an
LSA sophomore.
Organizers said the activities and
events scheduled for the month add
to cultural diversity and awareness,
and will hopefully be a time of ap-
preciation, insight and learning.
These are some of the
highlights of this month's
Black History celebrations.
12th - Baits African
American Classic Film
Festival, North Campus
Commons, 7 p.m.
13th - Quiet Storm Dance,
South Quad Afro-American
Lounge, 8 .m.
17th - fro Centric Art and
It's Implication" Dr. Jon
Lockard, South Quad Afro-
American Lounge, 7 p.m.
Special dinners at Bursley
and East Quad.
18th - "African American
Expression, A Black History
Month Celebration" Poetry,
speech, literaturehreading,
and jazz music. Check with
residence halls for times and
locations.
" Ruling expected
.\:. today in local
c'ustody battle
by Will McCahill
and Shelley Morrison
Daily Crime Reporters
A Washtenaw County Circuit
Court judge is expected to decide
today the fate of a two-year-old
girl whose life has been in legal
limbo almost since the day she
was born.
The girl has been the object of
prolonged court battles between
her biological parents, Daniel and
Cara Schmidt of Blairstown, Iowa,
and the Ann Arbor couple who has
raised her since she was less than
a month old, Jan and Roberta
DeBoer.
Judge William Ager is sched-
uled to decide which couple is bet-
ter suited to serve the best interests
of the child.
The girl - named Jessica by
the DeBoers and Anna Lee by the
Schmidts - was born on Feb. 8,
1991, to Cara Claussen in Iowa.
Although the mother knew Daniel
Schmidt was the biological father,
she did not tell him about the child
until after she had signed away her
parental rights on Feb. 10, 1991,
less than 40 hours after the baby
was born.
The mother claims she re-
versed her decision within the
three-day grace period allowed by
the law, but was not advised of her
right to change her mind.
The Iowa couple was not wed
at the time of the child's birth, but
married in April 1992.
By the time Daniel Schmidt
See CUSTODY, Page 2
Marian Faupel, Daniel Schmidt, and Cara Schmidt discuss the custody battle for the Schidt's biological daughter.
February 8 February 25 March 27 September 23 December 3 January 5 February 12
Baby girl born in Jan and Roberta Daniel Schmidt, Iowa Supreme Court DeBoers are supposed Washtenaw County (Today)
Cedar Rapids, Iowa DeBoer of Ann the biological upholds a lower to return the child to the Circuit Court Judge Ager is expected
Arbor are granted father, begins court ruling that the Schmidts in Iowa. William Ager agrees to to award
February 10 legal custody and custody fight. He child be returned to Instead, they begin a take jurisdiction over permanent
Cara Claussen gives wait for adoption had not formally Schmidt, who had legal fight to bring the case. custody based on
child up for adoption, proceedings to be given up his since married the jurisdiction over the what he believes
having given up final. They name parental rights to mother, Claussen. case to Michigan January 29 to be in the child's
parental rights. the baby Jessica. the child. courts. Custody hearings begin. best interests.
U' prepares procedure for hearings under new code
by Jennifer Silverberg
Daily Administration Reporter
Although the Statement of
Student Rights and Responsibilities
went into effect Jan. 1, the
University is still not ready to im-
plement the policy.
"We're ready to hold administra-
tive hearings now. There are people
in place to do that but the first panel
could not be formed until March 8,"
said Mary Lou Antieau, assistant to
the vice president for student affairs.
Under the new policy, complaints
of alleged violations of student
rights will be presented to the
University. Antieau, as judicial advi-
sor, will then decide if they should
be heard under the code.
Mark DeCamp, co-chair of the
Student Relations Committee - a
group of faculty members and stu-
dents - said the Office for Student
Affairs is predicting 30 hearings per
semester, but Antieau said there
have not been any requests for hear-
ing panels since the policy went into
effect.
"At this point there have been no
formal reports brought forth under
the policy," Antieau said. "We've
had some things that might be appli-
cable to be covered but they haven't
made formal statements. At this
point we're just waiting."
If complaints are deemed worthy
of being pursued, cases can be heard
by an administrative panel or a stu-
dent hearing board - which consists
of six students and one faculty
member, who is not able to vote on
the case. A different group of stu-
dents will preside over each case.
The dates of the hearings, their
content and their results will not be
released to the public, said Maureen
Hartford, vice president for student
affairs. But she said a broad sum-
mary of the number of cases might
be published.
Letters were mailed Tuesday to
50 students chosen randomly to
serve on these hearing panels. The
student names were obtained from
See CODE, Page 10
" Students question need
for single Black leader
State reps. talk
in support of
abortion rights
bY David Shepardson
Daily Government Reporter
by Mona Qureshi
Daily Feature Writer
The release of Spike Lee's film
biography of Malcolm X brought
curiosity about the slain Black leader
0 to the national spotlight. Many peo-
The campus community is
bustling with talk about grooming
new student activists like those who
led the Black Action Movements
(BAM) at the University in the '70s
and '80s.
I
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Most people have favors, cakes and parties on their
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