University professors have decided to take the
University's interim harassment policy into their
own hands. They decided to reform the policy to
suit their needs and concerns.
While it is no "Reservoir Dogs," "My New Gun"
stars James LeGros, the Cary Grant of the
grunge set. Read Alison Levy's sparkling review.
For the second time this season, the Michigan
men's basketball fell to No. 1 ranked Indiana by one
point. The Hoosiers held off the Wolverines, 93-92,
in Bloomington.
Today
Cloudy; chance of flurries :
High 30, Low 18*
Tomorrow * **
Cloidy; High 30, Low 20
V
One hundred two years of editorial freedom
444*&V
Vl III N. 8 AA rbo, icigngModa, Fbrayg 5,93 193Th icignDal
TM continue
negotiations to
draft contract
by Kenneth Dancyger
Daily. Faculty Reporter
Members of the Graduate Employees Organization
(GEO) and University administrators understand the
meaning of gridlock.
At a negotiating session Feb. 4 - the first since
GEO's 1992 contract was extended for five weeks -
the teams signed two plans that clarified the wording of
University and GEO documents. However, the groups
failed to agree upon any economic proposals.
Dialogue between the two groups continued Friday,
but both sides remained uncompromising in their plans,
leaving talks at a virtual standstill.
GEO presented economic proposals to the
University, including requests for a two-year salary in-
crease and the elimination of the University's $80 reg-
istration fee.
GEO Bargaining Committee chair Jon Curtiss said
the administration offered a $17-per-month raise for
TAs - well below GEO's request for $110-per-month.
The University also unveiled Gradcare - a new insur-
ance plan for TAs.
Curitss said Gradcare would increase TAs' medical
expenses.
He added that the University could give TAs a wage
increase, but counteract it by raising the mandatory
registration fee.
"(The University) ignored all our other economic
proposals," Curtiss said. "There wasn't a lot of com-
munication ... I don't think (the administration's) pro-
posals are based on an understanding of the economic
situations of TAs at the University."
However, University Bargaining Team member Dan
Gamble said the University takes every proposal from
the TA union very seriously.
"Some (proposals) tend to drop off the table and the
more important ones seem to rise to the top," he said.
Gamble added that he hopes - and expects - that
the two parties canagree on a new contract by March 7,
when GEO's contract extension expires.
"My hope is that we started a dialogue (Friday) that
will let us move and find ... a negotiated settlement to
get a contract, but officially the positions are still the
same," Curtiss said.
See GEO, Page 2
Towa couple to
contest local
. adoption ruling
by Will McCahill
Daily Crime Reporter
Despite victory in court Friday,
an Ann Arbor couple is still not
certain it will be able to keep the
two-year-old girl they have raised
since she was three weeks old.
Washtenaw County Circuit
Court Judge William Ager ruled
that it was in the child's best inter-
est to remain with Jan and Roberta
DeBoer instead of transferring
custody to her biological parents,
Daniel and Cara Schmidt of
Blairstown, Iowa.
The girl - named Jessica by
the DeBoers and Anna Lee by the
Schmidts - has been at the center
of a legal hurricane since she was
less than one month old.
The DeBoers' attorney,
Suellyn Scarnecchia, a University
Law professor, and her team of
law students are preparing to fight
a case scheduled to come before
the Michigan Court of Appeals by
April 6.
Opposing the DeBoers in the
Court of Appeals is Marian
Faupel, the Schmidts' lawyer. She
will challenge Ager's decision that
Michigan courts could assume ju-
risdiction over the case despite rul-
ings by Iowa courts awarding the
child to Daniel Schmidt. ,
Cara Schmidt signed away her
legal rights to the child less than
two days after the baby was born,
without telling Daniel Schmidt the
girl was his. The two were not
married at the time.
Daniel Schmidt then started le-
gal proceedings to get his daughter
back, basing his case on the fact
that he had never relinquished his
parental rights to the girl.
After losing in the Iowa
Supreme Court, the DeBoers filed
a petition to have a Michigan court
assume jurisdiction over the case.
When Ager agreed to hear the
case on Jan. 5, the venue moved to
Ann Arbor.
In siding with the DeBoers,
Ager said he believed it was pos-
sible for infants to form strong
bonds with adoptive as well as
biological parents - as happened
between Jessica and the DeBoers.
"Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt,
through no fault of theirs, are
strangers to this child," Ager said.
le also urged the Schmidts to
"step back" and consider the con-
sequences that prolonging the le-
gal fight might have on the child.
Ager said he believed the child
does not need four parents, but
that he hoped some sort of visita-
tion might take place so the child
would know of her biological
parents.
He added that he was con-
cerned about Daniel Schmidt's
tendency to blame others for his
problems and to erupt into a vio-
lent temper. Ager also mentioned
Schmidt's inability to maintain
consistent relationships with his
other children.
Schmidt has a 16-year-old son
See COURT, Page 2
Roberta DeBoer cries as Judge William Ager finds in her favor in Friday's custody trial.
Overseas students cross cul
W by Robin Litwin
Daily Feature Writer
Even out-of-state students do not
have to spend more than $1,000 and
a 24-hour plane trip just to get to
the University.
Each year the University attracts
a large number of overseas students.
As of September 1992, 2,470 people
in the University community are
from foreign countries.
LSA sophomore Kamran Ali,
who is originally from Pakistan but
grew up in Hong Kong, said he
came to the University looking for
an education different than the
British format he was used to.
"The normal choice would be
England, but the LSA format really
appealed to me," Ali said. "I wanted
to see what the American format was
like. I came in with the intentions of
being a business major, but now I
am a double major in economics and
Japanese. It is great that the Ameri-
can format allows you to do this."
But not all decisions are so care-
fully planned out. Adriana Irizarry,
an LSA sophomore from Puerto
Rico, said her choice to come to this
campus was a bit more spontaneous.
"It was a last-minute decision to
come here. I wanted a big university
with lots of diversity," she said. "I
also wanted a place far from home
with four seasons, but I guess it's
been mostly winter here so far."
On the other hand, Gerhard Ur-
basch, an LSA sophomore from
tural gap
Germany, is planning for his future
by forming a base for his career.
"It's always special to study
abroad. A lot of people study busi-
ness and economics," he said. "One
way you can distinguish yourself is
by studying the same stuff abroad."
Although many of these students
indicated. they have had exciting ex-
periences in the United States, they
also pointed out that a culture gap
has forced them to adjust to
"different" conditions.
by choosing 'U'
"It is about 100 degrees everyday
where I am from, and there are al-
most as many people on campus as
on the island. There's only one col-
lege there," said Cedric Marginedes,
a first-year RC student from New
Caledonia, a French colony off the
Australian coast.
Astrid Dick, an LSA sophomore
from Argentina, said a difference in
culture can result in an embarrassing
situation occasionally.
"I was prepared because I had
Galieria Mall store owners
find bush
by Jed Goldfarb
When plans to build a new mall
on South University Avenue were
first put in motion three years ago,
potential investors salivated at the
opportunity to draw business from
shopping-deprived students.
However, many people said that
- with the exception of Tower
Records, Caf6 Fino, Burger King
and Afterthoughts - the Galleria
Mall has been a nightmare for store
owners and a letdown for students.
When Campus Commercial
Properties opened the Galleria in
March 1990, eager students were
greeted with four new stores -
Tracks, Afterthoughts, Showcase
Plants and Flowers and Sports
Mania.
Sweet Greetings Candy Shop
0
iess disappointing
$100,000 lawsuit filed against it in Dollarbusters' other stores, whi(
circuit court. are located in blue-collar areas,d
"Unfortunately, they gave a much better business than the sto
fraudulent personal financial state- in the Galleria.
ment. They had no money and Sterling said Dollarbusters hC
couldn't survive for very long," "shaky financial backings" and
said Sharyn Sterling, vice president not current on its rent. She said t.
of leasing for Campus Commercial problem is similar to the form
Properties. Sweet Greetings - a "local mo
Tracks also left the scene - and pop" business that misrepr
offering the landowners $70,000 to sented its financial backings an
get out of its lease - when internal came in completely uncapitalized.
management decisions were made "We're worried frankly, becau,
by a larger takeover company. you just can't go into business wit
Although business at Cafe Fino, out money, she said. "We have
Burger King, Tower Records, and lease so we can't really mak
Afterthoughts is thriving, Sports backup plans."
Mania and Dollarbusters are Jeffrey Miller, an LSA seni
struggling - and much space in the and co-owner of the new restaura
mall remains vacant. Wings of Westwood at Rick
An employee at Dollarbusters American Cafe, said one rease
ch
do
re
as
is
he
er
m
e-
nd
se
th-
a
ke
or
nt
's
on
been here before, but my Brazilian
friend, when she meets someone is
used to giving them a kiss on the
cheek. When she came here she
would meet people on her hall and
she began kissing them. Then she
realized people here don't do that,"
Dick said.
Others said their presence has
caused some U.S. students to do the
adjusting.
Sanjoya, an LSA first-year stu-
See OVERSEAS, Page 2
Moody to
lead 'U'
program
inS.Afica
by Jennifer Silverberg
Daily Administration Reporter
Charles Moody announced his
decision last summer to leave the
position of Vice Provost for
Minority Affairs at the University in
order to head its South Africa
Initiative.
"I have a philosophy that if you
are a change agent you can stay ina
job too long. And if you stay so
long, then keeping your job becomes
more important than doing your
job," Moody said. "You have to
move on.
The University is completing a
search for Moodv's replacement and
.; ,y