WREO ti One hundred four years of editorial freedom Vol CV, ,, 4m ' - a 4 aStudents approve funding .for AATU Michigan Party will retain majority of seats on assembly; 6.2 percent vote By CATHY BOGUSLASKI Daily Staff Reporter The balanceofpoweron the Michi- gan Student Assembly will not change significantly following last week's midterm elections, but a majority of voters disagreed with the party in power on at least one issue. The Michigan Party will retain a majority of assembly seats. Students did, however, approve direct funding for the Ann Arbor Tenants' Union (AATU), which the Michigan Party *as opposed. Through a ballot question, 55 per- cent of voters approved a fee raise of 25 cents exclusively to fund the AATU. All other student groups re- ceive funding through MSA's Bud- get Priorities Committee. AATU Coordinator Pattrice Maurer said she was pleased with the outcome of the election, but she as- rted that pro-AATU turnout would ave been higher if not for vandalism of the tenants' union's campaign materials. "I think had somebody not been actively preventing us from getting our materials out to the voters, the margin would have been higher," she said. The fee increase must be approved by the University Board of Regents to take effect. * "The next step is for (MSA Presi- dent Julie Neenan) to fulfill her prom- ise to me and her obligation to stu- dents and take this proposal to the regents and argue strenuously for it," Maurer said. "As president of the as- sembly, I think she has an obligation to lobby for what students want no matter what her personal feelings are bout it." Neenan said she will bring up the ballot question at either the Decem- ber or January meeting of the Board of Regents. MSA will discuss the ballot question at Tuesday's meeting, Neenan said. University President James J. Duderstadt said, "I don't know whether the University would recom- mend it (the fee raise) or not. The egents have always been very re- ctant to approve funding for spe- cific designations. ... We don't re- strict MSA as to how they use their funds." The unofficial election results show the Students' Party, which has supported the tenants' union during its fight to gain funding from the assembly, will hold 16 seats on the assembly when newly elected repre- ' ntatives take office. The Michigan Party will hold 20 seats. Four of the elected representatives ran indepen- dently, and one representative is from the Wolverine Party. Five assembly seats are still open. The new representatives will join the assembly at the regular meeting Tuesday, Nov. 29. Turnout in the MSA elections was about 6.2 percent of the student body. 0lection results are expected to be confirmed today. Newly elected LSA Rep. FionaRose of the Students' Party said she would See MSA, Page 2 INSIDE *ARTS 5 French director Luc Vesson's "The Professional" fails to please anyone. SPORTSMonday IMandate: Black s still lag behind ^ 'DOUGASK NT-vaily Ohio State students celebrate as 'M' loses again Ohio State students who attempted to approach the field goal posts after the win against Michigan were met by police armed with mace. See SPORTSMonday for complete Ohio State coverage. LSA add~ws 3 cooncenitrations By LISA DINES and RONNIE GLASSBERG Daily Staff Reporters After six years of working to in- crease diversity at the University, the number of minority students on cam- pus has increased from 13.5 percent to 24.2 percent. But for Black stu- dents and faculty, the gains still lag behind other groups. The number of Black faculty mem- bers has failed to increase as fast as other minority groups, especially Asian Americans, as has the number of Black students in comparison to other students. Black students tradi- tionally graduate at a lower number than white or Asian American stu- dents. In an interview Friday, University President James J. Duderstadt attrib- uted the socioeconomic background of Black students as a reason for the disparity in graduation rate. In 1987, the University started the Michigan Mandate, a program aimed at increasing the level of minorities on campus. "As I look through it, I am very delighted with what I see in respect to all minority groups ... with the ex- ception of African Americans," Duderstadt said. "What I'm trying to do is figure out why and find out what needs to be done." In 1988, the number of Asian American and Black students on cam- pus was equal, with both making up 6.2 percent of the student body. To- l think the differences are driven more by socioeconomic background than by race. If you look at Asian Americans, many of them are coming from the best school districts In the country.' - James J. Duderstadt University president day there are 706 more Asian Ameri- cans on campus than Black students. Duderstadt said one reason that Black graduation rates continue to lag behind other groups is because Blacks tend to come from cities and attend schools that have less funding. "Most Asian students are coming from affluent families, most of our African American students are com- ing from cities," Duderstadt said. "I think the differences are driven more by socioeconomic background than by race. If you look at Asian Ameri- cans, many of them are coming from the best school districts in the coun- try." Public Health Prof. Rashid Bashshur said he thinks many of the See MANDATE, Page 2 By AMY KLEIN Daily Staff Reporter As CRISP begins this morning, undergraduate stu- dents will have the option to apply their credits toward three new LSA concentrations. Beginning last September, concentrations in classical civilization, Near Eastern studies and biological chemis- try were introduced to give students additional options within broad departments. The three latest concentrations appear in the wake of the general biology and A.B. physics concentrations, which were implemented last year. The recent flurry of activity surrounding the under- graduate program reflects the different student needs at the University, said Michael Martin, LSA associate dean. "(The new concentrations) reflect a new energy on the part of the departments to meet student needs. We have a very diverse student body with different needs," Martin said. Classical civilization The classical studies department previously consisted of three concentrations in Greek, Latin and classical ar- cheology. The department added a major in classical civilization in an effort to attract students who objected to the other concentrations' rigorous language requirements. Prof. John David Dillery, the classical civilization adviser, hopes the new concentration will now formally recognize students who have accumulated credits in the classical studies department. "The break with the previous majors here is that we're going to try to get people through classical antiquity without having them take Latin or Greek," Dillery said. In addition, the department has altered the previous curriculum to include the introductory seminar "Studying Antiquity" and additional seminars for more advanced students, See LSA, Page 2 Asian American editor urges student activism By ROBIN BARRY Daily Staff Reporter Helen Zia, the contributing editor of Ms. Magazine, spoke to about 60 students Saturday about her life as an Asian American activist and her work to change society. "There's nothing mysterious or cosmic about being an activist," she said. "All it means is wanting to change something and going out and doing something." Zia told the audience of her life as an obedi- ent first-born daughter in a traditional Chinese family. "My father was God, my mother served God. ... My brothers and I were expected to be seen and not heard." She said she played that role until she dis- obeyed her father by going to college. Her father had not wanted her to go, she said, because he felt it was improper for a Chinese girl. College was an opportunity to "break free," Zia said. While at Princeton University, she became active by protesting the Vietnam War. Zia asserted many people do not believe Asian Americans suffer discrimination and they are seen as a "model minority." She said a wake-up call came in the early '80s when Vincint Chin, a Chinese American, was beaten to death in Detroit because he was mistaken as Japanese during a time of strong anti-Japanese sentiment among auto workers. "The two men who killed Vincint Chin never spent a day in jail," Zia said. She said the incident caused the Asian Ameri- can community to come together in protest, but such an incident should not be needed to mobi- lize people. "Nobody is going to hand us anything, we have to get out there and stand up for our- selves," she said. "Otherwise the status quo will stay. No one will take you seriously unless you make them take you seriously." Zia challenged the audience to "think broadly" to take the Asian American commu- nity into the next century. "Every bit of social change you make today will have an effect tommorrow," she said. Zia encouranged students to look at their own campus for activism opportunities. "If you're wondering what kind of work might be left for you, I have big news -- there's plenty." Marie Ting of the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives, said her the office See ZIA, Page 2 U.N. considers j- air attacks against Serbs Parties square off as fight on GATT looms The Washington Post ZAGREB, Croatia - The United Nations put its 43,000 soldiers in the Balkanson red alert yesterday as U.N. and NATO officials considered launching airstrikes against rebel Serbs in Croatia and Bosnia. While U.N. and NATO officials declined to rule out any course of action, including a robust attack on Serb targets, they stressed that the increasingly volatile situation on the ground and the weaknesses of the lightly armed U.N. force are constraining their ability to act. Striking could trigger a wider war in the Balkans by prompting a Serb attack on Croatia after almost two years here of an uneasy but enduring peace. But doing nothing would fur- ther erode the already meager authority of the troubled U.N. mission here and could invite retribution from Bosnian Muslim soldiers and civilians fed up with 31 months of international inaction and apparent indifference to their plight. Once again, the United Nations appears to have no way out. "We've reviewed the options and all of them are bad," said a U.N. official after meet- '_ _ a . ;. _L.... r~ I Dole to White House: Make concessions for' support on GATT The Washington Post WASHINGTON - Senate Republican leader Robert Dole yesterday dramatically in- creased the price of his support for an interna- tional trade agreement, adding to his demands that the White House make concessions that would help Republicans achieve a reduction in capital gains taxes. ' Dole, set to take over as Senate majority leader in January, said he told senior Clinton administration officials on Saturday that he wants some "assurances" that budget rules would not interfere with passage of a capital gains tax cut. Dole said he will support the new General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) if he gets the assurances and some changes he has already requested in the trade legislation. Dole's comments, on ABC's "This Week With David Brinkley," illustrate the new power equations after the GOP takeover of Congress. Harkin plans to push for end to Senate's filibuster tradition The Washington Post WASHINGTON - Vowing that "Demo- crats should not do unto Republicans the way they did unto us," Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) is mounting a campaign to do away with one of the Senate's hoarier traditions: the filibuster. Frustrated to the point of sputtering rage by Republicans' repeated use of rules allowing un- limited debate to delay or kill Democratic initia- tives in recent years, Democrats are now in a position to use the filibuster rule to block the agenda of the new GOP congressional majority. Many Democrats have said they are reluctant to turn the filibuster tables on the Republicans, but none has gone as far as Harkin in urging repeal of the rule, under which it takes 60 votes, rather than a simple majority of 51, to invoke cloture: limit debate and force a bill to a vote. "I'm one of the few individuals who can do it, because I'm in the minority and I've used the Ar PPHOT Danish U.N. soldiers atop an armored personnel carrier peer through binoculars toward a hill surrounding Sarajevo yesterday. attack Serb targets in Croatia, including the Udbina airfield where the Serb aircraft are based. It marked the first time that the council sanc- tioned airstrikes on Serb forces or installations ,