2- The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 22, 1994
SURVEY
Continued from page 1
to a new environment. "If they know
more people, they feel more at home
at the University."
First-year LSA student Rebeca
Schichtel agreed. "I'm still working
out a balance," she said. "The whole
first month is just finding a balance
between your work and your social
life."
Schichtel said that she has diffi-
culty doing work in the dorm, when
there are so many people so close by.
"School work is definitely the biggest
challenge here, but staying in your
room to do it is almost as hard."
Schichtel also suggested chang-
ing the Reach Out program so that it
gives a more complete view of first-
year student life. "They should do
two phone surveys - one at the be-
ginning of the term and one in the
middle. If they only do one survey,
they should wait until the students
have a more stable routine."
"The problem with doing two sur-
veys," explained Pamela T. Horne,
director of the Office of Orientation
and Campus Information, "is that our
staff is very small." While there are
no present plans to do follow-up re-
search, Horne noted the possibility of
another department continuing the
study.
Horne noticed that even through-
out the three weeks that the survey
was conducted, the responses of stu-
dents changed significantly.
"I imagine that from September to
October there is a change in the num-
ber of students that feel connected to
the University and the number of stu-
dents in clubs," said Horne, adding
that how students deal with stress
might not change as much.
Reach Out '94 will begin early
next month. The survey questions
were finalized yesterday.
"This year's survey isn't too much
different from last year's," Hornesaid.
A few of the changes to this year's
survey involve more questions about
part-time jobs and less emphasis on
move-in.
Horne was surprised by the over-
whelmingly positive response to the
survey last year. The average time
spent talking to each student last year
ran more than twice as long as the
estimated five minutes.
While the program is aimed mainly
at making the University feel more
personal to new students, Home noted
said that there are contacts available
within 48 hours for students who need
to talk with them.
HAITI
Continued from page 1
operation with the Haitian military.
The incidents clearly upset manyj
American troops and their command-
ers and seem to have changed the tone
of the relationship only two days into
what promises to be a long U.S. pres-
encein Haiti. A number of U.S. infan-
trymen expressed dismay.
After Shelton's 80-minute meet-
ing with Cedras, Willey also said that
a Haitian heavy weapons unit based
at Camp d'Application, about six
miles outside Port-au-Prince, "will
cease to be a viable military unit."
Willey said that all weapons of the
200-man unit "will be rendered inop-
erable" and that the barracks would
be occupied immediately by U.S. spe-
cial forces, along with Haitian sol-
diers assigned to the unit.
He said that included the six V-
150 Commander armored personnel
carriers that were attached to the unit,
20mm and 40mm antiaircraft batter-
ies, antitank weapons.
I U
SANLO
Continued from page 1
For instance, I'm on the faculty
and I may not get tenure because of
my sexual orientation, but the reason
will appear to be something entirely
different. If I'm a student, I might be
getting the grades or the attention of
the professor that I need. It might be
because of my sexual orientation, but
it will appear to be something entirely
different. So it's much more covert,
and that's very difficult to deal with.
Q: Though you've only been here
a short time, how do you see the
relationship, if there is still discrimi-
nation, between this office and the
University?
A: Speaking from my personal
experience and not from as I've heard
it from other people, I've had an ex-
perience of absolute acceptance by
the administration. This office falls in
equal line with all of the other pro-
grams for the associate vice president
for multi-cultural affairs. I feel as
included and as respected as all of the
other program directors. I haven't
experienced any kind of lack of sup-
port and I haven't felt that people
werejust talking the "talk." I feel like
they're backing up their words with
tangible commitment.
Q: Last September, the Board of
Regents amended Bylaw 14.06 to pro-
hibit discrimination based on sexual
orientation. This summer, the Uni-
versity extended benefit rights to
same-sex couples. Are you satisfied
with the University's action?
A: I have to say that I'm satisfied
with the words. This is one of those
areas where I personally have heard
the "talk" but haven't seen the "walk."
When I came in May, I included my
partner and our children on my health
benefits form. Several days after fill-
ing out the form I received a phone
call from the health benefits office
saying that I couldn't include them on
the domestic-partner benefits policy.
Though they (the regents) had passed
(Bylaw 14.06), they had not yet imple-
mented the policy. I was told that
benefits would go into effect Jan. 1, at
which time I could add my partner
and our children during open enroll-
ment in October. Our children bio-
logically are my partners', so I
couldn't include them. Open enroll=
ment is about to come, and we'll see
if it will happen. I've been told th*
there might be some problems with
the terminology on the form, there
may be some problems with some of
our carriers allowing domestic part-
nership inclusion. But, given all of
those I've been told that the policy
will go into effect Jan. 1, so it is my
hope that the people wishing to join
the domestic-partnership health ben-
efits will be able to and that the police
is truly goes into effect. I'm a cock-
eyed optimist. I've been told some-
thing and if it doesn't happen we'll
have to take a different course of
action.
Q: What do you hope to accom-
plish as LGBPO director this year?
A: There are several things I hope
to accomplish this year. This is a year
of change for us. One is a leadershi
training program. We have an incre
ible opportunity in this office to pro-
vide a leadership training ground for
lesbians, gays and bisexuals so that
when they go back to their communi-
ties they will be able to take with them
the confidence to be a leader and
resource in their community.
By this time next year, we'll be
initiating a mentorship program --
I'm working on it now. I want to ha*
peer mentors available for new les-
bian, gay and bisexual students or
staff member so that they can call this
office and be connected to someone
similar to them. We will continue to
augment our support groups.
Q: If a student that had questions
about "coming out" came to the of-
fice what would tell them?
A: Coming out is a very sca
process. It's a lifelong process. T
degrees to which people come out
vary. Some people may choose to
never come out, while others choose
to come out here in Ann Arbor but not
at home. Whatever the case, I ask
people to check out what they're feel-
ing and what is comfortable with them.
We have our coming-out support
groups so if someone is wanting to
come out they will not be alone. Th
can come to the office and talk with
me or somebody else on staff. We
maintain their confidentiality in our
office.
p az'enIs'
It's back-to-school time, and while you're out spending someone
else's money, you might as well stock up on some decent shoes.
After all, your parents worked hard for their money. Spend it wisely.
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flapv Tef Pnumf Tbe Mamwx
I
SUICIDE
Continued from page 1
"They can't sit on the fence now
that this research has come out,"
Doukas said. Although he said he was
unsure of the outcome, Doukas specu-
lated that Michigan lawmakers will
take action before the current ban
expires in December.
Bachman said he does not think a
decision will come out of Lansing
soon. "It may be some months before
they get back to this again," he said.
Many organizations have done
research to estimate public opinion
on assisted suicide, but the ISR re-
search carries more weight because it
is more specific and has only a 5-
percent margin of error.
"The physicians are clearly say-
ing they would prefer not to have a
law," Lichtenstein said.
One question in the survey asked
of physicians contained an option for
no law. In responding, 37 percent
favored the "no law" option, 41 per-
cent favored Plan A and only 17 per-
cent said they preferred a ban like the
one in effect now.
Of the 37 percent of physicians
who prefer no law, 22 percent want
the decision to be left to the doctor
and patient; the other 15 percent
thought the medical profession -
including the American Medical As-
sociation - should provide regulD
tion or guidelines.
Bachman said many physicians
who responded to the survey felt laws
that ban or regulate assisted suicide
were "criminalizing their work."
Doukas said, "Physicians should
be policing their own matters." He
added that a value-based regulatory
judgement would be better received
by doctors than an all-out ban like to
current state law.
The survey itself was unique in
that it was not conducted by tele-
phone, which is how many surveys of
lesser importance are conducted.
"By using a mail survey that con-
tains a broad range of information on
the issue, rather than conducting a
telephone poll, we were able to give
survey respondents a chancce to thi4
about the issues," Bachman said.
Research is still being conducted,
on the issue. "The research will be
going on, right as we speak," Doukas
said. "We still need to find out more
information from the physicians in
this area."
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