Baker trial scheduled for May 22 LSA sophomore Jake Baker's fed- eral trial on five charges of sending threats via the Internet is now slated to begin May 22 in Federal Judge Avern Cohn's Detroit courtroom. Baker's trial for one charge of sending threats was originally sched- uled to begin April 7, but last month a grand jury issued a superseding in- dictment, which issued the new charges and pushed back the trial date. Despite the new trial date, U.S. Attorney Ken Chadwell said it is un- likely the trial will start in the next month. "We expect that (defense attor- ney) Douglas Mulkoff will file a motion to dismiss the case by April 28," Chadwell said yesterday. "Then we will have time to file a response and a new date will probably have to be set. "I don't think that the May trial date is really realistic." David Cahill, one of Baker's at- torneys, said the trial may not be able to begin this summer because Cohn is hearing another case scheduled to begin in June. FBI agents arrested Baker on Feb. 9 in connection with a sexually explicit story he posted on the Internet newsgroup "alt.sex.stories" and e- mail correspondence Baker had with an Ontario man who used the pseud- onym Arthur Gonda. President James J. Duderstadt suspended Baker Feb. 1 after the discovery of the Internet story, which included the name of a University student as Baker's "vic- tim" of rape, torture, mutilation and murder. Baker spent more than a month in federal custody and was released in March after a psychologist found him suitable for conditional release to his home in Boardman, Ohio. Ontario Provincial Police and FBI searches for Gonda have not led to the whereabouts of the man with whom Baker discussed acts of rape, torture and murder of young women. South Quad fire * alarms lead to thefts Two fire alarms early Sunday morn- ing at South Quad residence hall re- sulted in multiple thefts, according to Department of Public Safety reports. A South Quad resident called DPS midday Sunday to report that his com- puter was stolen during the first fire alarm at about 4 a.m. The caller told DPS officers that his Apple Powerbook was taken from his locked room during the alarm, reports say. Another resident called Sunday night to report that "several items were stolen" from his room during both alarms. The caller could not es- timate the value of the stolen items. On the west side of South Quad, a vending machine on the ground floor was broken into early Sunday morn- ing. All merchandise from the ma- chine was taken, including more than $50 in snack food. - Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter Josh White Group tells students to protest nuclear power Project Fermi 2 organizer opposes Detroit Edison By Daniel Johnson Daily Staff Reporter Marie Mason, an organizer of the Fermi 2 Action Project, exhorted stu- dents to protest the operation of De- troit Edison's nuclear power plant last night. The group is seeking to garner sup- port for its Summer Encampment of 1995, a 10-day protest of Fermi II to feature demonstrations, speakers and educational workshops held in Ann Arbor from July 28 through Aug. 6. "We began to realize that we needed to bring public witness against Fermi II, outside of Monroe," Mason said. She mentioned that some Mon- roe residents hesitate to protest the plant's operation because it is one of the town's largest employers. Fermi II shut down operations fol- lowing an accident in December 1993, when a turbine blade sheared off, caus- ing an explosion and a fire inside the plant. Investigators attributed the fail- ure, which necessitated about $80 million in repairs, to metal fatigue and other factors. Detroit Edison spokesman Scott Simons said the accident was not spe- cific to a nuclear power plant. "The situation could have occurred at any power plant in the country," Simons said in a telephone interview yester- day. The plant, which is located about 35 miles south of Detroit, was provid- ing approximately 14 percent of De- troit Edison's power supply when the accident occurred. Amid protests, De- troit Edison began a testing program at Fermi II last December to return the plant to full power. "Right now, we're slowly bring- ing the plant back up," Simons said. "When we're satisfied that everything is operating safely and efficiently, we hope to be back to full power." The plant stopped operating recently as part of a turbine-testing program. The turbine involved in the accident is being balanced in order to resume op- eration, Simons said. The turbine was causing vibrations that exceeded Nuclear Regulatory Commission stan- dards. The plant was operating at 80 per- cent power last week prior to its shut- down. Simons said that Detroit Edison hopes to begin power increase within the next several days. "Fermi II is a damaged nuclear power plant, and running a damaged plant is risking a Chernobyl-like acci- dent in this area,' said Jesse Deerinwater, a member of Citizens Resistance Against Fermi Two, a fed- eration of groups opposed to the op- eration of Fermi II. Last October, more than 100 activ- ists from around the nation flocked to a weekend rally in Monroe to prevent the plant's reopening. The protest culmi- nated with the arrest of 16 people, who had handcuffed themselves to barrels, forming a human chain to block entry and exit from Fermi II. This summer's encampment will feature similar types of civil disobe- dience and other less extreme mea- sures of protest, Mason said. In addi- tion, those who congregate for the rally will be provided with food and a "support network." "With this 10-day encampment, people can participate in all strate- gies," Mason said. "The world has passed through the nuclear age and found it wanting," Deerinwater said. "Now, we need to produce our electricity with sustain- able alternative sources." Karl Fischer, a nuclear engineer- ing senior, disagreed with Mason's condemnation of nuclear power as an energy source. "I don't think it's fair to attribute the problems of Fermi II to nuclear power in general." MOLLY STEVENS/Dai4L Marie Mason discusses protesting against nuclear power last night. Touch-tone registration shortens waits; still glitches By Michelle Lee Thompson Daily Staff Reporter A touch-tone registration system is getting mixed reviews from students, who are required to use the method for the first time ever this month, following a year of testing. The system is an upgrade from the old method of Com- puter Registration Involving Student Participation, which took place in offices in Angell Hall and the Chrysler Center. Some students complain that the new system is not user- friendly and that errors cause the automated registrar to hang up on them. But many said they appreciate the time the dial-in method saves. "I had no troubles at all, despite the fact that most of my friends did. I actually thought it was so much better than standing in the bottom of Angell Hall," said LSA sophomore Lorie Davessian, who used the new system last semester. Assistant Registrar Lynn Adelman, who answered various student questions from the CRISP office, said there were no major problems and that most questions were easily answered by the office's staff. "Everything seems to be working quite smoothly," Adelman said. Some students complained that the new registration is not time-efficient-callers register for each class individu- ally and are returned to the main menu after each class addition. Others said the class they wanted to take was listed in the time schedule, but when they tried to register, the computer voice said the course was closed. Associate Registrar Tom McElvain said that often the "I had no troubles at all, despite the fact that most of.w myr friends did.' - Lorie Davessian- LSA sophomore; times and courses listed in the time schedule change after thd schedule is published in March. "Departments make changes," McElvain said. "The discrepancies you find between the time schedule and the; database are the same discrepancies you found between the time schedule and when you sat down at CRISP," he added. But Paul Smithizas, an LSA sophomore, said he prefers the old system. "It was the first time I used the touch-tone system an4 I didn't like it," Smithzas said. "I would have rather stood in line. When you sit down, the lady or man at the computer can sort of help you," he said. Most agreed that the dial-in registration saved time; and some said they set alarms for early-morning CRISP times and went back to sleep when they finished, McElvain said mornings were CRISP's busiest times and that Thursday was the busiest day last week. The mainframe computer has 128 lines to cut down on busy signals. Touch-tone CRISP closes from midnight to 7 a.m. for batch processing but is open during the rest of the day. MOLLY STEVENS/Daily Nice sign A sign announcing senior days lies in early April snow. Gov.'s commission on gambling to release report today LANSING (AP)-Gov. John Engler's gam- ing commission was expected to make its recom- mendations today, but all bets were off on what the report might say. Engler created the commission last Septem- ber to study the potential impacts of expanding gambling in Michigan. The panel held several closed meetings to debate and two open meet- ings in Detroit and Lansing. Engler spokesman John Truscott said sum- maries of the report would be released sometime today, but the governor would be unavailable for comment. Truscott said the commission had six months to work on its recommendation and Engler will take at least six weeks to review it. "We're going to look at it and study it because that's the only responsible thing to do," Truscott said. He said the governor has not been told of the report's content. "We know what we have read in the paper." News accounts have speculated on the report's contents and some of the 13 commission members have been quoted anonymously. But reports have varied on the panel's recommenda- tion. Commission members could not be reached yesterday for comment. The panel's recommendations could range from no expanding gambling to expanding casino- style gaming on and off Native American reserva- tions. According to some reports, the commission rejected adding gaming in bars and restaurants and recommended no casino-style gambling at racetracks. Horse racing officials have said casino gam- bling is wrecking their business. They said they need more simulcasting - betting on telecast races from other venues - and casino-style games to keep up. Meanwhile, House Speaker Paul Hillegonds (R-Holland) said there is little urgency in the Legislature to deal with expanding gambling. Hillegonds said last week that lawmakers have agreed to put the issue on hold. rF~ riE.CAAELD What's happening in Ann Arbor today GROUP MEETINGS Q "Health Insurance for Interna- Unio Q Alianza, 764-2677, Trotter House, tional Students," sponsored by STUE Mail lobby, 7 p.m. International Center, Interna- DE Q Ann Arbor Moderation Manage- tional Center, Room 9, 2 p.m. Q 76-GU ment, 930-6446, Unitarian Q "I Don't Give a Damn," movie, ing p Church, 1917 Washtenaw, sponsored by AMI, Hillel Build- Q Camp Gaede Room, 7-8 p.m. ing, 7 p.m. ganL Q Amnesty International, 213-1862, 4 "Literature of Immigration or of 76-E Michigan League, 7:30 p.m. Diaspora? Main Currents in GOph Q Gospel Chorale Rehearsal, 764- Chinese-American Literature," Q ECB P 1705, School of Music, Room brown bag lecture, sponsored gellH 2043, 7:30-9:30 p.m. by Center for Chinese Studies, Alice Q Japan Student Association, gene Lane Hall Commons Room, 12 11 p eral meeting, 213-0639, Inter- noon Q North national Center, 7:30-10 p.m. Q "Moving and Shipping Work- Nort Q LSA Student Govemment, LSA Build- shop," sponsored by Interna- NCIC ing, Room 2002, 6 p.m. tional Center, International Cen- Q North Q Michigan Students for Peace, ter, Room 9, 4 p.m. Lobb 764-5943, Modern Languages Q "Pulsed Electrochemical Detec- Q Peer Building, Room B118, 7 p.m. tion in Liquid Chromatography tion Q New Italian Club, weekly meet- for Carbohydrates, Amines and With ing, 668-1402, Espresso Royale Organic Sulfur Compounds," 721 Cafe on State St., 7 p.m. sponsored by Department of Edu Q Sailing Team, 913-4748, West Chemistry, Chemistry Building, app Engineering Building, Room Room 1640, 4 p.m. Q Politi 420, 6:30 p.m. Q "Rally and March for the Dental 764 Q Thai Students Association, weekly School Three," sponsored by spon planning meeting, 663-7299, Michi- National Women's Rights Orga- Advi on, Pond Room, 7 p.m. NT SERVICES VIDE, 764-8433, peercounsel- phone line, 7 p.m.-8 a.m. us information Center, Michi- Union, 763-INFO; events info EVENT or UM*Events on herBLUE Peer Tutorial, 747-4526, An- Hall ComputingSite, 7-11 p.m., Lloyd, 7-10 p.m., Bursley, 7- p.m. Campus Information Center, h Campus Commons, 763- C, 7:30 a.m.-5:50 p.m. walk, 763-WALK, Bursley by, 8 p.m.-11:30 p.m. Counseling for Non-Tradi- al Undergraduate Students h Academic Concerns, 998- 0, sponsored by Center for nation of Women, call for ointment cal Science Peer Advising, -6386, walk-ins welcome, nsored by Undergraduate sing, Haven Hall, Room Abraham: GOP should revamp legal system LANSING (AP) -Revamping the legal system to block frivolous law- suits and excessive awards will be one of the top items on the U.S. Senate's agenda this spring, U.S. Sen. Spencer Abraham said yesterday. The Auburn Hills Republican said such steps will help create jobs and improve the economy. A Lansing businessman said without such changes, a new company - with up to 450 jobs - might go to Canada instead of Michigan. Richard Kettles, the president of Classic Aircraft Corp., said he is in- volved with a new company, Spartan Aircraft Corp. That company will build nowerful utility airplanes. Columbia Review INTENSIVE MCVAT PREPARATION ClBsses i