Jr.,r r~run ti --. ad g loll IN kkk One hundred four years of editorial freedom Amid applause, GOP taps Gingrich as next speaker The Washington Post WASHINGTON - House Re- publicans yesterday named Rep. Newt Gingrich as their choice to become the first Republican speaker in 40 years at a televised caucus meeting that com- bined the enthusiasm of a football rally with the seriousness of a history lec- *re. His most boisterous fans among the incoming House majority gave him thunderous applause and chanted, "Newt! Newt! Newt!" after the Geor- Lecturer suspended, TA to hold last classes By LISA DINES and RONNIE GLASSBERG Daily Staff Reporters Communication lecturer Nancy Thornhill has been suspended, leav- ing the teaching assistant to take over the course instruction, a University official confirmed yesterday evening. The TA, Kylo Hart, told students last Monday in class that he would teach for the remainder of the term and that Thornhill would not return. Hart offered no explanation for Wornhill's extended absence. Vice President for University Re- lations Walter Harrison confirmed Thornhill's suspension. "Beyond that I can't comment," he said. "I can't comment on person- nel matters." Thornhill, a faculty member since 1992, could not be reached after re- peated attempts during the week. .Zhornhill's salary is $31,350 for an ght-month appointment. At a Friday communication de- partment faculty meeting, interim chair John Chamberlin reportedly told the faculty of Thornhill's suspension, according to several faculty members who attended the meeting. Chamberlin would not confirm the suspension yesterday afternoon, but id discuss the impact of the change See SUSPENSION, Page 2 gia lawmaker won a voice vote in an election lacking suspense. He for- mally takes over as the first GOP speaker since Joseph Martin of Mas- sachusetts on Jan. 4, when the 104th Congress opens. In his 50-minute speech, Gingrich set a graver tone that, befitting a former history professor, compared the new GOP-controlled House to its recent predecessors and what he considers the last big change in the federal government's role, the New Deal. He also offered his colleagues a reading list of four books and four historical documents, including the Declaration of Independence and the Federalist Papers. On several occasionsGingrich,51, and about to begin a ninth term in the House, paused and choked back emo- tion as he moved one formality closer to fulfilling his ambition to be speaker. "I think we want to say to the nation that we have nothing to fear but fear itself," Gingrich said, quoting Franklin D. Roosevelt's declaration amid the Depression. "We can dramatically im- prove the quality of life, the economic opportunity and the safety of virtually every American between now and the year 2000." Gingrich reminded his colleagues that the party twice won a majority after World War II, in 1946 and 1952, only to lose control in the next elec- tion. The last time a House Republi- can majority got reelected was in 1926. "We are now faced with the challenge of (setting) a longer precedent," he said. Gingrich's election by acclama- tion topped the ascension of a conser- vative Republican leadership that has shifted south and west along with the House membership of a party founded in the Midwest. The top three leaders represent Georgia and Texas. Rep. Richard Armey (R-Texas), a former economics professor, was cho- sen on a voice vote as majority leader, the second-ranking post. For the last two years, Armey, 54, has played the role of combative partisan as chair- man of the House Republican Con- ference - the party caucus. He was uncontested for the majority leader's post. Another aggressive Texan, Rep. Tom D. DeLay, won a three-way race See HOUSE, Page 2 M Clinton administration accuses Gingrich of false remarks. Page 7. BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY Racist' e-mail message raids CAEN system By MICHELLE LEE THOMPSON Daily Staff Reporter About 10,000 Engineering stu- dents received a "very racist" elec- tronic mail message yesterday, in- spiring mixed reactions from the Uni- versity community. A message that originated from the University of Texas was sent to all Computer Aided Engineering Net- work (CAEN) users late Sunday night. However, Texas officials say the ap- parent sender did not create the mes- sage. Charles Warlick, director of the Computation Center at the University of Texas-Austin, said, "It's not a mat- ter of anyone here doing anything suspicious." Rather, a network "cracker" deci- phered the password of Texas student Carol Johnson and used her account to send the message. Warlick said that in this case and most others, Johnson was not the actual sender. "All we know with any certainty is that it originated at a computer terminal at the Univeristy of Texas," said CAEN Director Randy Frank, who warned University students not to respond to the message he called "very racist." Frank's bulletin also told users See E-MAIL, Page 2 E-mam essae "FREE MONEY CAN BE YOURS!" "If you are an 80-IQ welfare mother producing illegitimate offspring at 9-month intervals starting at the age of 13." "If you are an illegal alien in need of medical services while you give birth to a new 'American' citizen, now that you are north of the Rio Grande." * "If you are a member of Jewish organized crime gangs newly arrived as 'refugees' from Russia." "If you are a homosexual 'performance' artist the National Endowment of the Arts will pay you handsomely to literally or figuratively fling dung at your audience...." * "If you are one of the quiet, sober, thrifty, hard-working, decent and almost infinitely tolerant White majority, your job is to work hard to provide all the free money and free goodies that the criminals - uh, I mean politicians who like to give away to buy votes for the minority and special voting blocs." MICHAEL FITZHUGH/Daily Holiday lights hang in the trees along Main Street yesterday. Students start the long trek down the road for a Rhodes By ZACHARY M. RAIMI Daily Staff Reporter Seven University students and re- cent graduates have cleared the first set of hurdles in the long run to be Rhodes Scholars. All will be interviewed to- morrow, and if successful, advance to the regional competition Saturday. "I'm very excited and nervous," said LSA senior Marah Gubar, one of e students to be interviewed. Only 32 students in the nation will become Rhodes Scholars, a prestigious worldwide scholarship that awards stu- dents two years of graduate study at Oxford University in England. The University's Senior Scholarship Com- mittee endorsed seven students, from a field of about a dozen. Leah Niederstadt, who won the award last year, was the first Univer- y student to win since 1980. For the first time in at least 10 years, all of the committee's endorsements were granted state interviews, said Nancy Pietras, a financial aid officer for the LSA Honors program. Ruth Scodel, director of LSA Hon- ors, said this proves "that we have some truly outstanding students (at the University)." Scodel said many factors contrib- uted to the students' selection. "Luck, good students and a policy of trying to spread our good students over states" other than Michigan led to the larger than usual number of University candi- dates. Prof. John Knott, chairman of the Senior Scholarship Committee, ex- plained that students compete only against those from their home state. The committee tries to spread its en- dorsements among many regions of the country so that more University students are considered. Of the seven candidates, three are from Michigan. The next step is for the candidates to compete in state competitions before moving to the regional level. Students are interviewed by a panel, which in- cludes former Rhodes Scholars. To prepare for the interviews, many of the candidates have been catching up on current events and studying ethical issues within their field of concentration. However, LSA senior Karen Jones, a math major in the Inteflex program, said preparation for this part of the competition has not been easy. "(It is) a culmination of your whole college experience and that way there is not much preparing you can do," Jones said. The lengthy application process began last March. Along with a mass meeting for interested students, profes- sors encourage their students to apply. Most applicants are juniors with at least a 3.7 grade point average. Students do not have to apply for the Rhodes Scholarship through the committee, but are encouraged to do so. Knott said the committee "gives them a boost." Knott said the committee selects its students based on the same criteria Race for the Rhodes These 'U' students and recent graduates will be interviewed tomorrow by their home states' Rhodes Scholar committees. Derek Douglas, LSA graduate, 'Michigan Brian Kalev Freeman, LSA senior, Maryland Marah Gubar, LSA senior, Indiana Karen Jones, LSA senior, Michigan Katherine Metres, LSA graduate, 'Illinois Jonathan Phillips, LSA graduate, Connecticut Rajiv Shah, LSA senior, Michigan used by the Rhodes Scholar commit- tee. These include a high grade point average, participation in a wide variety of campus activities and an ability to articulate themselves well. In addition, students must be se- niors or recent graduates younger than 24 and submit five to eight letters of reference. "You have to be able to think on your feet," Knott said, and have "some presence." Katherine Metres, a University See RHODES, Page 2 New campus police station receives few assistance ® Department of Public Safety location more of a lost and found than emergency center BY SPENCER DICKINSON Daily Staff Reporter The Community Police Office in Mason Hall has begun its third week of operations, and University Depart- ment of Public Safety Officer Dave Russell said it is "making slow progress." Traffic in the office for the most part consists of students asking for directions. "Every time someone comes in here for directions, they learn where the office is here, and they'll know where to find us when they need us," Russell said. The ground floor of Mason Hall is requests home to the office used by Ann Arbor police and DPS officers. Since Nov. 15, the office has been open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a student recep- tionist on duty. Officers from both police depart- ments use the office to fill out reports, take breaks and make contact with students and faculty on Central Cam- pus. The office also serves as a lost and found for students' books, wallets and jewelry. "Probably no one will come around looking for this," Russell said, picking up a silver earring, "but wallets and IDs are a different story." Students are encouraged to turn in lost items to the office. The Community Police Office also serves as a location close to the Central Campus where officers can be available on a continuous basis. See DPS, Page 2 Graduate Degrees Nationwide As the national job market becomes more competitive, a common solution is going to graduate school, delaying enterence into a crowded field and gaining more knowledge simultaneously. In *t991, more than 350,000 students completed post-graduate degrees across the country. Here is the total number of degrees conferred and a breakdown by race. Master's: 328,645 Doctoral: 38,547 .4% 26 Graduate degrees more in demand with recent changes in job market IN SIDlE ARTS 5 By VAHE TAZIAN Daily Staff Reporter If law school, business school or medical school are not in your plans, then a master's or doctoral degree ... .i+ -- .,..,. . ,.. 1.3,.., lrt . Getting into graduate degree. Weider says that the lack of jobs available to students with bachelor's degrees is very discourag- ing. "With the job market so chal- lenging, students must be focused on "Vitalogy" is the best Pearl Jam album they've done. Read the review of the grunge band's newest effort. SPORTS 8 II I . . s .