The Michigan Daily - Friday, November 11, 1994 - 5
prof: Stereotypes
plague Muslims
LSA revamps 2d-
language offerings
with new program
By KELLY MORRISON
For the Daily
Because of many people's "lack
of ability to judge properly what Is-
is ... Muslims are facing stereo-
s" in the United States, said Uni-
versity of Toronto Prof. Imam Quicke.
Quicke spoke at the Law Quad
last night on "Islam in America." The
presentation was sponsored by the
Muslim Student Association as part
of Islamic Awareness Week.
Islam is the second-largest reli-
gion in North America; one out of
every four people on Earth is a fol-
ever of Islam, he said.
Quicke cited representations of
Arabs and Muslims in the media that
are the product of prejudice and igno-
rance of Islam and Muslims.
"The most sinister character that
could be brought to the scene (of a
movie) was an Arab terrorist," Quicke
said. Western culture seeks to "rid the
world of the new terror (Muslims).
l at happens to Arabs in particular
d Muslims in general," he said.
Contrary to the American repre-
sentation of Muslims as belligerent
and violent people, Quicke said one
of the "statements that forms the prin-
ciples of Islam ... is hurt no one, and
they will not hurt you."
Muslims "are not any particular
race, any particular color or any par-
ticular nation," he continued. "It is
majority religion in Africa. There
are 60 million Muslims in China, 60-
70 million in the former Soviet states
and in Europe by the millions."
Islam shares many aspects of
Judeo-Christian theology. Quicke said,
"The word 'Islam' means seeking
peace through Allah," the Arab word
for God.
Islam also recognizes important
religious figures from the Bible as
prophets, including Adam, Noah,
Moses and Jesus, he said.
The main purpose of Islamic
Awareness Week, which began Mon-
day and ends today, "is to educate and
inform" those who are unfamiliar with
Muslims and Islam, said Sameera
Ahmed, continental coordinator for
the association's groups in the United
States and Canada.
The Muslim Student Association
is a multi-ethnic organization de-
signed to serve as a link between the
University and Muslim students.
There are more than 500 such groups
at universities across Canada and the
United States, Ahmed said.
The association's University
branch is only in its second year. "It
was a year of maturation ... Most
members this year are new, (first-
year students)," Ahmed said. "For
that, they did an excellent job."
There will be a unity dinner to-
night in Canton to bring together
branches of the association from the
United States and Canada, including
the University of Windsor, the Uni-
versity of Toledo and various groups
DOUGLAS KANTER/Daily
University of Toronto Prof. Imam Quicke speaks at the Law Quad last night.
from Michigan.
Ahmed said the association will
celebrate the success of Islamic
Awareness Week and the hard work
of its members.
The association's activities include
presentations, workshops and educa-
tional events, including Islamic
Awareness Week, which are open to
interested students, said Executive
Board member Asif Harsolia.
x For more information, call the
Ann Arbor MSA office at 761-1167,
or write to 4107 Michigan Union.
Federal court rules education trust
LANSING (AP) - The Internal
Revenue Service will have two
months to appeal a ruling that could
provide a $57 million windfall to
tc' Michigan Education Trust, At-
ney General Frank Kelley's of-
fice said yesterday.
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals ruled Tuesday that as a
governmental agency, the prepaid
college tuition program should not
have to pay taxes on its investment
earnings. The trust has been paying
$7 million to $8 million in taxes a
year.
& Kelley spokeswoman Marion
IRS willhave 2 months to appeal
decision, with $57 million at stake
Gorton said if the ruling stands, MET
would get back the taxes it has paid,
plus interest, some $57 million.
"The court agreed that it was a
governmental agency, which is what
we had been arguing all along. We
feel it is a strong opinion and the
attorney general was quite pleased,"
she said.
"I'm thrilled with it. I'm pleased
with it," state Treasurer Doug Rob-
erts said Wednesday.
The MET program - created by
Gov. Jim Blanchard's administration
- allowed parents, grandparents and
others to pre-pay a child's college edu-
cation at aMichigan public university
at a discounted price.
The program also can be used if
children attend private or out-of-state
colleges, but won't guarantee that full
tuition be covered.
About 54,000 children were en-
rolled in the program between 1988
and 1990. No new enrollments have
been offered since Gov. John Engler
took office in 1991.
taxexempt
Enler said the program appeared
to be unde'_rft nded, and Roberts said
the investmnt climate made it im-
possibleto ensure high enough re-
turns on new contracts to keep pace
with rising tuition costs.
Subsequent audits have shown
MET to be on sound financial footing,
even without the tax ruling.
If MET admissions are renewed,
the marketing will change, said Rob-
erts, who also served as the head of
the MET board.
He said the earlier program was
marketed as a tuition guarantee pro-
gram, even though the state isn't re-
quired to bailout the program if funds
are inadequate.
"If we ever opened it up again, we'd
make it very clear that the state would
not stand behind it," he said.
By MELISSA KOENIGSBERG
For the Daily
As the business world transforms
globally and technologically, a new
University program, Language Across
the Curriculum (LAC), will redefine
the way students use their second lan-
guage.
Students who have already ful-
filled their fourth-semester profi-
ciency will have the opportunity to
practice those skills outside the lan-
guage departmentandreceive academic
credit.
The program was developed by
the College of LSA, which appointed
a committee to develop its require-
ments last fall.
"It is going to change the whole
phase of the language department.
The college wants students to be able
to do real practical work at every
level," said German Prof. Fred
Amrine, LAC committee chair.
The LAC committee has designed
four ways for students to earn credit
toward graduation and certification.
Students can take mini-courses, newly
created LAC classes, extra credit in
an already established class or "con-
tract" credits outside of class.
Michael Martin, LSA associate
dean for long-range planning and
analysis, is overseeing the program's
development.
"It is hard to believe there are only
15 to 20 students who have the ability
to speak in Arabic and Russian,"
Martin said. "Competence in more
difficult subjects involve fewer stu-
dents."
A majority of LAC courses avail-
able will be in more popular lan-
guages such as Spanish and German.
Still, the program is open to students
of any language.
The LAC committee proposal
states that for any LSA course, stu-
dents may, with their instructor's per-
mission, earn additional credit via the
LAC program by negotiating a con-
tract for additional course work in-
volving a language other than En-
glish.
"LAC is very commited to com-
munication, to get it to work in a way
that is open and pragmatic," Amrine
said. "There is a provision for stu-
dents to take initiative."
So far, only three LSA courses
allowed students to participate in the
LAC curriculum. The first LAC
course - "Coming to terms with
Germany" - was offered last winter.
Amrine and history Prof. Geof
Eley taught the course, along with a
fifth hour for extra credit.
LSA sophomore Alexandra Lutz
took the class and said she enjoyed
the experience."We got together and
read current newspaper articles and
discussed politics. It helped to en-
large the outlook of students," she
said. "It gave (us) the opportunity to
practice the language."
This term, classes in Spanish and
German were offered. The Spanish
course involved film and video, and
'it Is going to change
the whole phase of the
language department.
The college wants
students to be able to ..
do real practical work
at every level.'
- Fred Amrine
LAC committee chair
the German course involved history.
The three courses available for
winter term are Psychology 401, His-
tory 477 and a Residential College
course called"Ecology, Environment
and Social Responsibility."
Faculty members involved with
LAC hope it will change students'
perspectives on second-language pro-
ficiency.
One of the program's goals is to
eliminate many students' feelings that
learning a language is a pointless re-
quirement, to be gotten out of the way
as soon as possible.
"I am optimistic and hope that
students study language because they
see value. (LAC) may change stu-
dents attitudes. They could start tak-
ing language for a reason," Martin
said.
Classes in the LAC program do
not count toward distribution require-
ments. One incentive for the program
is acknowledgement on student's tran-
scripts.
Students who have accumulated
four units in approved LAC courses
could be certified as having partici-
pated in "Advanced Second-Lan-
guage Study." Students who have
accumulated nine units certified as
having attained "Advanced Second
Language Competence."
For ajob in a corporation that does
business overseas, Martin said, ful-
filling an advanced language require-k
ment will show a student's dedica-
tion.
"We are finding much more inter-
estin language. Increasingly, students
can showcase the skills they deve
oped," he said. "Eventually, mayb
we will have upper-level writing 6
prove advanced competency."
LAC benfits students by further
ing their credentials for after gradua-
tion. Many students have exprese
interest in this program. '
LSA sophomore Stephanie
Schaefer said she would take advan-
tageofthe program. "It would broaden
by interest to use Spanish in another
context, to talk about new themes that
interest me." It would also increase
students' exposure to a language, she
said.
"This is an important initiative for
this university," Amrine said. "It is
hard to get (the program) off the
ground and it requires lots of people
from different departments to get in-
volved."
APPY HOLIDAYS, NOT A DAY TOO SOON
Senator
1un1 ma~-C.threats
WASHINGTON (AP) -Sen. Ben
Nighthorse Campbell's office has told
authorities it received a threatening
phone call from aman identifying him-
self as Francisco Martin Duran two
months before Duran is alleged to have
fired at the White House.
A man identifying himself as Fran-
ciscoDuran ofColorado Springs,Colo.,
called Aug.23 and threatened to "go to
Washington and take someone out,"
apparently because of growing support
of the crime bill, Carol Knight, the
Police identify
crash victims
MUNDY TOWNSHIP, Mich.
(AP) - Police Wednesday released
the identities of the three people who
died when a car-hauler on Interstate
75 slammed into traffic stopped for
President Clinton's motorcade.
Dawn Cynthia Arthur, 35, and her
23-month-old niece, Taylor Lashae
Jones-Whitehead, both of Saginaw,
were trapped inside one burning car.
Mary Alice Miller, 41, of the Detroit
area, died after being trapped in an-
other car.
Several others were injured.
Colorado Democrat's spokeswoman,
said yesterday.
The call was one of hundreds of
angry, threatening or obscene calls
Campbell's Colorado Springs office
received during that time, Knight said.
It came two days before Campbell cast
the deciding vote for the legislation,
which banned the sale of military-style
semiautomatic rifles.
Duran was arrested Oct. 29 and
accused of firing 27 rounds at the White
House.
VY
1 F
DOUGLAS KANTER/Daily
Josh Ferry, an electrical engineering senior, and Alex Morouse, a sixth-year
art student, hang holiday lights in front of the Michigan Union last night.
A
1
Mi*an coadung legend
Bo Sclembechler will be
autographing copies of the
new book,
ADynastyInBlue
25 Yeas of Michigan Football Glory
on
Friday, November 11th
Noonto1:30J.m.
Mih( an UnRORion okt
Friday
" U-M Ninjutsu Club, IMSU,
Room G-21, 6:30-8 p.m., 761-
8251
O U-M Shorin-Ryu Karate-Do
Saturday
U "A Reason to Live," a film by
independant filmmakers, Natural
Science Building, Natural Sci-
ence Auditorium, 6:30-10 p.m.,
'7fA21 1 M
p.m., 663-6004
Prof. Teshome Wagaw Speaks
onEthiopian Jews, Hillel, 7p.m.
998-0622
Q "A Taste of Puerto Rican Cui-
sine," TrotterHouse, 1 p.m.,998-
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i - Tm- wll 4-1
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