Hearing
may ban
workplace
smoking
1 More than 350
speakers to testify
before the
Occupational Safety
and Health
Administration on
proposal
Los Angeles Times
WASHINGTON - With a wit-
ness list including organizations from
nearly every walk of American life,
federal work safety officials opened a
marathon hearing yesterday on a pro-
posal to ban smoking in virtually all
workplaces, including restaurants and
bars.
Although the federal officials have
waged a broad assault on smoking
Ond tobacco over the last year, the
hearing by the Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA)
should provide the widest-ranging
government forum yet for debating
the effects of second-hand smoke.
More than 350 speakers are to
testify before the hearing concludes
in December.
The opening day provided a
,limpse of things to come as Ted
ossman, a lawyer for tobacco com-
pany RJ Reynolds, told members of
the OSHA panel that under his inter-
pretation of the proposed rule, "a judge
all alone in his chambers, reading a
book, couldn't light a pipe, right?"
John Martonik, OSHA acting di-
rector of health standards programs,
answered yes.
The witness list, in addition to
apresentatives of the tobacco and
anti-smoking lobbies, includes a ca-
sino association, beverage groups, a
carpet and rug institute, a postal work-
ers' union, an air traffic controller
group and the Refrigeration Service
Engineers' Society.
The OSHA rule would confine
smoking in the workplace to enclosed,
ventilated areas. Employers would be
quired to develop written indoor air
uality plans, which would be en-
forced by OSHA inspectors.
"OSHA's decision to develop
rules on indoor air quality - includ-
ing rules affecting environmental to-
bacco smoke - flows directly from
our duty, our statutory responsibility,
to protect the right of American work-
ers to a safe and healthy workplace,"
said Michael Siverstein, OSHA di-
tor of policy, as he opened the
hearings.
OSHA is the branch of the Labor
department charged with protecting
the safety of the nation's workers.
Tobacco advocates are sounding
alarms over the rule, which they claim
is too restrictive.
"The only possible way to make
this plan work is to create a heated,
*entilated chamber where no busi-
ness can be conducted, no drink or no
food can be served," said Tom Lauria,
assistant to the president of the To-
bacco Institute in Washington.
Lauria said most businesses would
opt to ban smoking in their buildings
rather thvn spend the money to create
a smoking room.
OSHA is not likely to have an
y ride if it is to endorse its plan
er hearings end. The tobacco lobby
is expected to challenge the rule in the
courts, which could hold up execu-
tion of the rule for years.
A coalition of health groups that
includes the American Lung Asso-
ciation and the American Cancer So-
ciety endorsed the plan, pointing to
statistics that list "involuntary smok-
ing" as the third-largest cause of pre-
ature death.
The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, September 21, 1994 - 3
Killings continue
m Rwanda, panel
asks for more aid
Hiwatha of Cult Heroes sings with the Navarones yesterday during an event sponsored by Amnesty International.
City ordmance makes home not
assweetfo Pe-nn State students
By ANDREW TAYLOR
Daily Staff Reporter
The house is perfect: five large
bedrooms, two bathrooms, spacious
kitchen and living room. There's just
one problem - only three students
can legally live there.
That's the case at Pennsylvania
State Univer-
sity. How-
ever, students i#'tUS N6
this week are " Penn State
challenging '
the 15-year- o
old local or-
dinance that a
prohibits sND v
more than
three unrelated people from living
together in many residential areas of
State College, Penn.
"Most students don't know the
law exists," said Mark Shepanski, a
member of the Penn State Under-
graduate Student Government (USG).
Three years ago, however, a hous-
ing task force sponsored by local resi-
dents began to sweep through the
residential districts, attempting to
enforce the ordinance and send stu-
dents elsewhere.
The plan was not successful in
limiting households to three students,
so in June the Coalition of State Col-
lege Neighborhood Associations
asked the local government to create
a new ordinance to limit student hous-
ing in the residential areas.
Resident groups claim students
are disruptive with their different
lifestyles.
The proposal is to change the three
person residency rule to one that regu-
lates the density of the student popu-
lation in a given area.
This sent the student government
into action, drafting a proposal of its
own.
USG President Mike King has
developed a plan that would use the
square footage of a house to deter-
mine the number of students that could
live there.
"The size of the house is not con-
sidered under the current law," said
Shelli Scott, a Penn State sophomore.
"What we need is for the law to allow
for realistic occupancy rates in these
big houses."
This controversy has even brought
together two traditionally rival groups
- students and landlords.
The State College Planning Com-
mission, a part of the city council,
meets Friday to decide the issue. The
student government has collected well
more than their goal of 1,300 signa-
tures to petition the commission to
consider King's proposal.
One councilman was quoted by
King as saying, "We never make an
example out of anybody. I think it's
time we throw some people out in the
snow." However, the councilman de-
nies such a statement.
King said that the constituency of
the council consists of more students
than homeowners. Between the stu-
dents and the landlords, the council
should listen to the proposal.
"We feel that we have the upper
hand," Shepanski said. "They won't
be able to blatantly segregate the stu-
dents from town."
® Government still
persecuting Hutus,
panelist says
By JOSH WHITE
For the Daily
As national attention shifts to Haiti,
many people have forgotten the all-
too-recent tragedy in Rwanda with
the belief that the problem in the small
African country was solved when a
new government was established.
While the Rwandan Popular Front,
which currently holds power, tries to
settle the tribal conflict between the
Hutu and Tutsi tribes, the killing con-
tinues in the war-torn state.
Amnesty International sponsored
a discussion group last night to bring
attention back to a country desper-
ately in need of help.
"Our intention in holding this event
is to raise awareness, to get people
talking about an issue that seems to
have been put away and to talk about
what lies ahead in the future of
Rwanda," said Abdurrahman Baris, a
member of Amnesty International's
Local Group 61 and the coordinator
of last night's event.
Baris said that proceeds from ticket
sales, a silent auction and donations
from more than 40 local businesses
will go directly to relief agents situ-
ated in Rwanda.
And relief is necessary.
Gaetan Gattgtete, a Tutsi who
spoke on last night's panel, said that
in the three months following the April
outbreak of civil war, there were more
than one million people killed and
more than two million refugees. He
also said that 200,000 children were
orphaned.
"There was never a hate between
the Hutu and the Tutsi," Gattgtete
said. "But politics messed everything
up in Rwanda. Politics created this
hate, politics made us kill each other,
politics made this genocide.
"We now have a government. The
solution is to teach each other to for-
give and love each other again," he
said with a bit of hesitation. "But how
do you forgive someone who killed
your father?"
Mary Lu, a Hutu member of the
panel, said that the current govern-
ment, which is mainly Tutsi, is at the
heart of the problem.
"These are the names of people
that the government wants to find and
then kill," she said, unrolling a list
that covered more than 15 feet of
paper. "They are Hutu who are living
as refugees and are forced not to re-
turn to the country, they are afraid for
their lives.
"Do not believe what they say in
the papers and on the television about
how the RPF government has restored
peace. They are wrong. Dead wrong."
Lu went on to explain how refu-
gees are killed in the camps outside of
Rwanda's borders and how Hutus that
try to return are shot.
"They say that there is a democ-
racy in Rwanda," she said. "There
will be no democracy in Rwanda until
there is peace and we can live in
harmony."
Ken Harrow, an Amnesty Interna-
tional country coordinator for
Rwanda, said the government is act-
ing in the best interests of the country.
"There is no hard evidence to sup-
port the fact that the government is
killing Hutus who are returning to the
country," he said. "Amnesty Interna-
tional representatives who went to
Rwanda said that the killings are not
government supported, that they are
random acts, possibly of revenge."
Leonidas Murembya, who also
spoke last night, said that what the
country needs is unity and for other
countries to realize that the horror in
Rwanda is not nearly at an end.
"We don't want people to say 'You
are a Hutu' or 'You are a Tutsi,"' he
said, noting that he is a Hutu. "We
want people to say 'You are
Rwandan."'
Another panelist, Gerard Cefuco,
agreed.
"We need to give the 200,000 chil-
dren who have no family left a home
and a country," he said.
Union, League look for holiday
By DAVID SHEPARDSON
Daily News Editor
Searching to accommodate all re-
ligions and cultures on the thorny
issue of December holiday decora-
tions, officials from the Michigan
Union and Michigan League held the
first of two public comment sessions
yesterday.
Audrey Schwimmer, director of
the Michigan Union, chaired the ses-
sion that took place in the Pond room
and drew only half a dozen staff mem-
bers.
"We're looking for student feed-
back," Schwimmer said. "We look-
ing for a method so not to offend
anyone, but we don't want to make
the place look generic."
A donated Christmas tree was
placed in a Union lobby last Decem-
ber, wreaths were hung and garland
was strung in numerous places, draw-
ing the ire of some University stu-
dents.
"We try to show all different faiths
and cultures: Kwaanza, Judaism and
Christianity," Schwimmer said.
Amy Bogle, special events coor-
dinator of the Michigan League, said
that the League's governing board
had ordered that Christmas music not
be played in the League last Decem-
ber.
The League, which also displayed
a donated Christmas tree, had a sepa
rate Hannukah display in a glass case.
Additionally, the League food service
employees annually make a ginger-
bread house during the holiday sea-
son.
Bogle said the League had taken
luggestions
steps to try not to offend members of
the University's diverse community
by not using red and green napkins or
other red and green items at holiday
parties.
"We're looking for the right an-
swers. It's not easy," Bogle said.
The officials discussed a proposal
to create separate displays for reli-
gions and cultures.
But Schwimmer said she was un-
sure how much time or interest stu-
dents would have in creating holiday
displays.
'U' departments seek input on ways
to eliminate workplace violence
By JENNIFER HARVEY
For the Daily
With an increase in reports of
workplace violence within the Uni-
versity and schools around the na-
tion, faculty and staff are invited to
talk about their experiences tomor-
row at 7 p.m. in the Michigan Room
of the Michigan Union.
The meeting was organized by
several University departments, in-
cluding the Department of Public
Safety, to develop understanding and
awareness of the concerns University
workers have regarding threats or acts
of violence.
The possible formation of a
"Workplace Violence Task Force"
will also be discussed. No task force
panel is yet assembled.
Keith Bruhnsen, a University or-
ganizer of the event, said the meeting
will focus on gathering information
about workplace violence.
"The University is a large institu-
tion. We need people to come for-
ward so we can develop policies and
comprehensive help programs,"
Bruhnsen said.
Bruhnsen said this action is in part
the result of the recent national spot-
light on workplace violence. He added
there has been a recent increase in the
number of reports of workplace vio-
lence within the University.
Workplace violence includes
threats, harassment, property destruc-
tion, physical attacks and threatening
letters, telephone calls, or other com-
munications.
The violence stems from different
sources. Among them are employees,
students, visitors, guests and other
staff members, Bruhnsen said.
He also said the first step to find-
ing solutions to the problem is gather-
ing data.
Tomorrow's meeting is open to
the public. Bruhensen added that any-
one who comes forward may remain
anonymous if they wish to do so.
IT'S FINALLY
HERE
DAILY MASS MEETING
7:30 p.m.
Student .Publications
Building
429 Maynard
(behind Betsey Barbour)
U.
Group Meetings
O U-M Shorin-Ryu Karate-Do
Club, men & women; begin-
ners welcome, 994-3620,
CCRB, 2275, 8:30-9:30 p.m.
" St. Mary Bible Study, Catholic
Student Fellowship, Center-
ing Prayer, 663-0557, St. Mary
Student Parish, 331 Thompson,
7 p.m.
EECS, 1003, 12:30 p.m.
Q Alpha Phi Omega Mass Meet-
ing, 668-0043, Union, Anderson
Rm., 7 p.m.
Q Rainforest Action Movement
Mass Meeting, 913-4008,
School of Natural Resources,
Dana 1046, 7:30 p.m.
Q Hindu Students Council Mass
Meeting, 994-0907, Mosher-Jor-
dan Nikkf ~iGr oncrep Rn~m
Communism: In Search of a
Paradigm of Transforma-
tion" with Jadwiga Staniszkis,
CSST Colloquium, 764-0351,
LSA, 2553, 4 p.m.
Q "See you at the flagpole" Chris-
tian Fellowship & Prayer,
South Quad at the flagpole,
11:30 a.m. to noon.
Student services
Where??
. the Student Publications Building (behind
.. > ->< PB-arbulaebrrv
i