The Michigan Daily - Friday, November 5, 1993 - 5 .Regents meet with LGBi activists By BARBARA McKELVEY FOR THE DAILY Regents Rebecca McGowan and Laurence Deitch (D-Ann Arbor) dis- cussed discrimination against gay, lesbian and bisexual students with campus activists lastnight in the Law- yers' Club Lounge. For an hour and a half, the group discussed homosexu- ality in general and Bylaw 14.06 in particular. Bylaw 14.06, the University'santi- discrimination statute, only recently addedprotection on thebasis of sexual orientation. Before September's amendment, a University presiden- tial policy offered the only legal sup- port for homosexuals. A committee made up of students 3and faculty has begun looking for ways to implement the bylaw. Several students at the discussion criticized the committee's composi- tion, although at least one lesbian serves on the board. Gay activist Charles Sullivan criti- cized the University for not seeking out gay people to participate. McGowan responded, "Except for what (the committee members) tell us, their sexual orientation is not our 0business. " She emphasized the need to protect people's privacy. "The issue of privacy is essen- tial," saidLesbian-Gay Male Program Office Director Jim Toy. "But the composition of the gr6up sends an unclear message. Is it, 'This doesn't matter?' or 'We respect privacy?"' McGowan stressed that the gay community had been consulted be- fore any major decisions were made. "This change is meant to alleviate the fear or concern of gay people that some behemoth would come down on people in a way that was not antici- pated. If this came from Mount Olympus, we would not have done our jobs.,, McGowan pointed to the regents' 7-1 vote in supportof the amendment. Rackham student Monique WMansoura had reservations. "Not searching out gays for the committee because, 'It's none of our business,' implies a sense of shame." Sullivan said feelings like this can create the infamous "closet." "Straights see the closet as protec- tion, a shield from the world outside. Actually, it is a place of darkness and pain. Once you come out there is a sense of intolerance for it." He stressed the gay community's responsibility for its own situation and pointed to people's growing sen- sitivity as an example."Increased awareness happened because students made it happen. We made it happen when we came out," Sullivan said. Kevin Lee, a Rackham student, pointed out that laws are not omnipotent."As an Asian American, *know.... There were no laws against me, but still there was prejudice. The amendment is an improvement, but there is no change in climate." MIGHTY CHEM LAB PEOPLE MSA candidates focus on North Campus concerns By KAREN TALASKI DAILY STAFF REPORTER To many students, North Campus seems like afar away place. Inhabited by engineers, artists and musicians, its wooded pathways lead to nothing more than a long bus ride to Central Campus on a Sat- urday night. Yet Michigan Student Assembly candidates hope to bring student gov- ELECTION ernment to the great white north, start- ing with improvements in its relation- ship with MSA. Fall 1993 election platforms are full ofpromises to bring all the luxuries of MSA's Michigan Union office up north. "There's alotof potential on North Campus, you just have to go after it," said Keg Party candidate Atisa Sioshansi. As a first-year Engineering stu- dent, Sioshansi has many suggestions as to how MSA could improve its services on North Campus. As a way to open up the lines of communica- tion, Sioshansi would like to see rep- resentatives get on line with the CAEN computer network and begin a com- puter conference. "In general, MSA needs to get the word out more. Everyone wants to see more students get involved, but people aren't standing by what they say," she said. "There's a lot more to do." However, Conservative Coalition candidate Mark Biersack warned can- didates not to make promises that students living on North Campus may not want. "It's giving North Campus special status and I don't want to see the assembly do anything like that," Biersack said. "It is a different group of people (and) takes some looking at to see what people really want." He recommends asking groups like the University of Michigan Engineer- ing Council (UMEC) and Society of Women Engineers (SWE) before changing the way MSA interacts with North Campus. "If they think we're doing a good enough job, we are," Biersack said. Yet Students' Party candidate Brian Elliott said he thinks the trials of traveling up and back to North Campus are tedious enough to foster MSA opening up a branch office on North Campus. "There's a lot of empty space in North Campus Commons for abranch office, with the full capabilities of the Union office," Elliott said. "The ac- cess to MSA, the ability to hold office hours, and the input of students who live on North Campus is an absolute necessity." Michigan Party candidate Angie Kelic said she thinks the most impor- tant thing MSA could do for students living on North Campus is increase its visibility. She applauded the as- sembly for taking its meetings into North Campus residence halls like Bursley, but said MSA needs to take further steps toward extending its ser- vices to students. "Student societies would realize there is a lot of projects they do that could receive funding from MSA if there was more information avail- able," Kelic said. MARY KOUKHABIDally Engineering first-year student Tim Greshph and LSA first-year student Susan Mieszczak perform experiments in their Chemistry 125 lab. Black journalist impresses 'U' By MEGAN SCHIMPF FOR THE DAILY Blazing into history, Charlayne Hunter-Gault walked into her place at the University of Georgia in 1961. Last night, she walked into her place at the University of Michigan and spoke about her experiences and her book, "In My Place." Hunter-Gault, a correspondent on the "MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour," was one of the first two Black stu- dents chosen to desegregate the Uni- versity of Georgia campus. Upon her arrival, she was met with a storm of racial prejudice. Despite having a brick and a Coke bottle thrown through her window on her second night, Hunter-Gault said the support of her family kept her from feeling fear. "I wasn't afraid. I was angry. Be- cause somewhere in the back of my mind there was a protection that I couldn't identify, but it was there," she said. She entered school, she said, as the South was changing. "It was white sons and daughters facing their most apocryphal moment since Sherman's march to the sea and Black sons and daughters having their most liberat- ing moments since the Emancipation Proclamation," she said. Hunter-Gault has worked for The New Yorker and The New York Times, among other publications, winning many journalism awards in- cluding two Emmys and a Peabody Award. She was named Journalist of the Year in 1986 by the National Association of Black Journalists. People still react negatively to her appearance as a Black woman, she said. Earlier this year, people wrote let- ters telling her they would not watch her show because she had her hair braided. "You get those kind of reactions because people aren't used to seeing people as they really are," she said. "Just beneath the surface of a lot of people's consciousness, they look for some superficial thing and then all the feelings they've been nurturing in- side just come out." The audience was impressed by her experiences and her attitude to- ward them. "It's really stunning to hear her speak because she's so sage and such an impressive storyteller," said Nancy Stender, an employee of Borders bookstore. "There are so few people who could have been in her place and come through it with her grace." LSA sophomore Joy Harris said Hunter-Gault is a role model. "She's a leader. She has been a pioneer as far as opportunities for other Blacks in America." MARY KOUKHAB/Daly Charlayne Hunter-Gault shares experiences of Black womanhood last night Researchers say women also perpetrate sexual violence SOUTHFIELD (AP) - Women use less force when they commit sex crimes and sometimes escape pros- ecution because authorities generally look for male offenders, experts say. "Females don't use as much force, but they still can be very abusive," said psychologist Ruth Mathews. "It's not that the acts they do are milder, but they exploit opportunities more than they use force." Mathews runs a program for fe- male sex offenders in Minnesota. She spoke last month at a conference of about 100 people in this Detroit sub- urb. About 20 percent of adult sex of- fenders are women, said Kathleen Faller, a University researcher. Police and other investigators tend to miss female abusers in part be- cause women stereotypically are seen as passive and men as active in sex, Mathews said. Some actions that would get a man arrested is consid- ered OK for women, she said. "Girls tend not to get arrested for exposing themselves, for window- peeping and other non-touch offenses, because they're not considered a threat," said Mathews. "In fact, we exploit females for some of these things, so how can we arrest them?" Another example, she said, is sex between adults and teens. "If you have a 35-year-old guy 'If you have a 35-year-old guy with a 15-year-old girl, It's a crime. If it's the other way around, the guy is considered lucky.' Kathleen Faller University researcher with a 15-year-old girl, it's a crime," she said. "If it's the other way around, the guy is considered lucky." Even so, boys can suffer emo- tional harm from such relationships just as girls can, she said. Mathews presented results of her research to about 100 police officers, probation officers, therapists and child protection workers. Safer Society Resources of Michigan, a child-pro- tection group, sponsored the Oct. 7 conference. Mathews said she based her con- clusions on a study of 70 women and 50 adolescent girls being treated in her program. Women and teen-age girls sexu- ally abuse children both inside and outside of their families but are less likely than men to abuse strangers, researchers said. Female abusers of- ten have been abused extensively themselves or are coerced by men to commit sexual abuse, they said. People who are sexually abused as children by their mothers suffer se- rious long-term emotional harm, a social worker said. "People have to get past the idea that this is somehow misguided child care," said Bobbie Rosencrans, who studied 93 women and nine men whose mothers abused them as chil- dren. "Society does not want to give up the warm, cozy image of Mom. My theory is that women ought to be held accountable." Most of the victims abused alco- hol or drugs or had eating disorders, she said. Collectively, her subjects spent 639 years in therapy. "This happens, this really does happen," said Rosencrans. "And the public needs to know it happens, so they can bring this group of human beings into the human fold." Correction: Frederick Douglass did not write "The Souls of Black Folk." W. E. B. DuBois authored the book. This was incorrectly in yesterday's Daily. Friday U Brown Bag Series: Fetal Alco- hol Syndrome, sponsored by the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives, West Engineering, Women's Studies Lounge, noon Q Chinese Christian Fellowship, meeting and speakerJames Moi on dating and relationships, Dana Building, Room 1040, 7:30 p.m. U Korean Campus Crusade for Christ, fellowship meeting, Campus Chapel, 1236 Washtenaw Ct., 8 p.m. U Library Orientation, Alan Pol- lard, head of Slavic and East European Division of the Graduate Library will show in- terested student research tools, Harlan Hatcher Graduate Li- brary, Room 110, 4 p.m. O Niniutsu Club, IM Building. boat house, men 3, 4, and 5 p.m.; women 3:30, 4:30, and 5:30 p.m. Q Safewalk Nighttime Safety Walking Service, UGLi, lobby, 936-1000, 8 p.m.-11:30 p.m. Q Saint Mary Student Parish, Serving Hunger Coalition, 3:15 p.m.; Departure for Student Retreat, 4:45 p.m.; Rosary Group, 7:30 p.m., 331 Thomp- son St. Q Shorin-Ryu Karate-Do Club, everyone welcome, CCRB, Room 2275, 6 p.m. Q Students Concerned About Animal Rights, meeting, Cafe Fino, 1214S. University Ave., 5 p.m. Q Tae Kwon Do Club, everyone welcome, CCRB, Room 2275, 7:30 p.m. Q Weekly Bridge Game, Dupli- cate Bridge Club, Michigan America, sponsored by Puerto Rico Solidarity, Hispanic Law Students Association, Latino/a Studies, Angell Hall, Audito- rium C, 11:30 a.m. U Safewalk Nighttime Safety Walking Service, UGLi, lobby, 936-1000, 8 p.m.-11:30 p.m. Sunday Q Alpha Phi Omega, Pledge meet- ing,56 p.m.; Chapter meeting 6:45 p.m.; Michigan Union, Kuenzel Room U Christian Life Church Sunday Service, School of Education, Schorling Auditorium, 11 a.m. O Four Quarters, multimedia open forum, People Dancing Studios, 111 Third St., 3 p.m. U Palestinian Dabkeh, sponsored by Arab-American Students Association, Michigan Union, Anderson Room D, 7 p.m. Get the cutting edge on news concerning the world and the University - Read the Daily The University of Michigan BASKETBALL BAND AUDITIONS I Audition will consist of a sight-reading excerpt. Men's Basketball Band Rehearsals Tuesdays, 7:00 - 8:00 pm **Women's Basketball Band Rehearsals Tuesdays, 8:30 - 9:30 pm Positions open for: Drum Set Electric Bass PiccoloIt Clarinet 4)// J'i 1 I I II I