LOCAL/STATE
The Michigan Daily - Friday, February 16, 1996 - 5
Female student
bothered by
men in Umon
While in the MUG area of the Union
late Tuesday night, one University stu-
dent found herself being harassed by
two older men. Frightened, she called
police and said the two men "were
bothering her." Upon arriving on the
scene, Department of Public Safety
officers found that one of the two men
had a two-count warrant for trespass-
ing.
The man, a 37-year-old Ann Arbor
*ident, was described by police as a
"continual problem." After this lat-
est incidentTuesday, he was arrested.
The second man, a 36-year-old Ann
Arbor resident, had no outstanding
warrants and was released.
Homeless men found
sleeping and roaming
# campus
In separate incidents this week, two
groups of homeless men were found
sleeping on the heating grates out-
side the University Health Services
building.
On Tuesday, DPS officers found a
group of three men. DPS reports said,
the men were "moved along."
Wednesday, another group of three
men was escorted from the scene by
'olice.
It seems all six men got at least some
sleep - police did not find the tres-
passers until after 7:30 a.m. on either of
the two days.
In related news, DPS officers were
called out to Angell Hall on both Mon-
day and Wednesday after receiving
reports of homeless men wandering
around the building.
Monday, they issued a trespassing
ket to a 55-year-old homeless man
Who was "roaming between auditori-
ums" and escorted him from the build-
ing.
Wednesday, a report that a man
was again wandering through the au-
ditoriums could not be substantiated
as the man was gone when police
checked the area. It is not known
whether this was the same man who
had been issued a ticket two days
earlier.
Fight breaks out in
Markley Underground
A shouting match turned violent
Wednesday night when one Mary
Markley resident pushed another in the
residence hall's "Underground" snack
bar.
After the incident, the victim con-
cted DPS officials to report the con-
ntation.
Officers arrived on the scene
shortly thereafter and ran a warrant
check on the assailant, an 18-year-
old man who lives on the same floor
as the victim. The warrant check came
up negative and no further action was
taken.
Computer equipment
tolen from Modern
anguages Building
About $3,000 worth of computer
equipment was taken from the Lan-
guage Resource Center on the second
floor of the Modem Languages Build-
ing.
The theft occurred sometime late
Tuesday night or early Wednesday
morning.
Staff "thinkthat someonejustwalked
* and carried it off," DPS officials
said.
DPS reported no suspects in the in-
vestigation.
- Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter
Lenny Feller.
Student financial aid group
fonnsto fight federal cuts
By Stephanie Jo Klein
Daily Staff Reporter
After 12,249 students applied for fi-
nancial aid in 1995, a new campus group
has mobilized to take action. Students
to Protect Financial Aid, a non-partisan
student group, just filed its papers with
the Michigan Student Assembly and
vows to begin the fight for student rights.
Group chair Mona Hanna, an SNRE
sophomore, said the organization
formed in response to congressional
threats to student loan programs.
"We're trying to reach out to people
who either don't know or don't care
about financial aid cuts," she said. "Un-
like other issues, including welfare,
Medicaid, even the environment, cuts
in financial aid affect us most directly."
Hanna identified U.S. Rep. Dick
Chrysler (R-Brighton) as a major ob-
stacle to student loan seekers. The first-
term U.S. representative voted for HR
2491 in October, a bill that dramatically
decreased student funding options.
"Congressman Chrysler has consis-
tently followed Newt Gingrich's orders
to cut student loans while at the same
time handing out tax breaks for people
making over $200,000 a year," she said.
Chrysler spokesperson Doug McGinn
took issue with the group's stance against
the representative's legislative record.
"The tax argument is ridiculous,"
McGinn said, pointing out that 77 per-
cent of the tax cuts Hanna mentioned go
to families making less than $75,000.
McGinn also noted that the student
loan package underwent a 50-percent
increase, rising from $24 billion to $36
billion.
"In that sense, the numbers can't lie,"
he said.
Hanna disagreed. "The increase is
not proportional with inflation," she
said. "It actually underfunds education."
SPFA hopes to encourage participa-
tion from students of all political affili-
ations to vote and vote wisely.
Hanna said the efforts of U.S. Rep.
Lynn Rivers (D-Ann Arbor) should not
go unnoticed.
"Lynn Rivers protects our lives and
interests," Hanna said. "She's in the
minority now. We have to elect people
who vote like her."
The University's chapter ofSPFA was
inspired by Michigan State University's
upstartgroup lastyear, which was founded
by Hanna's brother Mark.
State Sen. Alma Wheeler Smith (D-
Salem Twp.) said she had seen positive
contributions made by SPFA and other
groups.
"It's going to take a tremendous move-
ment of college students to direct the
attention of congresspeople, particularly
Republicans, to maintain the level of
spending on education," Smith said.
Smith said student activists have the
right idea in their actions. "They can vote.
The vote can be very powerful politically.
You have to understand how great a
weapon it is and use it," she asserted.
With a small core of 10 members,
SPFA hopes it can make student voices
heard in Michigan and national legisla-
tures through grassroots organization
and participation in rallies and letter
writing campaigns. A training session
is in the works for later this year.
STEPHANIE GRACE !IM/Daily
AATU coordinator Pattrice Maurer (front) and LSA senior Regi Moss, an AATU
intern, work to settle disputes between tenants and landlords.
Tenants uon spans
35-year1'U'history
By Rajal Pitroda
For the Daily
The 1960s are generally thought ofas
a decade of action and a time that brought
about positive change. One of the out-
comes of this activism was the creation
of the Ann Arbor Tenants' Union to
combat substandard off-campus living
conditions at the University.
"Our purpose back in the day is the
same as our purpose now," said AATU
coordinator Pattrice Maurer. "We want
to empower our tenants to take action,
we provide them with their options and
choices, and with our support."
The group estimates that about 2,000
student housing establishments, in ad-
dition to members of the community,
use AATU's counseling line every year.
"The AATU was created by students
for students," Maurer said. "It benefits
all students."
LSA sophomore Paul Dewitt called
AATU when the cold weather hit and
his apartment was left without heat.
"Our landlord never responded to
our calls," Dewitt said. "The AATU
told us about what we could do to get
his attention, and who to call to get our
heat working. They were incredibly
supportive and helpful."
"The AATU really takes their Job
seriously," said Lucy Edwards, an LSA
junior. "My roommates and I had ques-
tions about our lease, some ofthe clauses
did not make sense. We talked to the
AATU about it and they told us what we
had the right to negotiate with our land-
lord. They helped us save a lot of time
and money down the line."
However, AATU's past has not been
free of criticism. In 1990, with a new
wave of student leaders, the Michigan
Student Assembly approved a two-
thirds cut of the student funding. There
were also claims that AATU funneled
money to another housing group in Ann
Arbor, the Housing Homeless Action
Committee, of which the AATU coor-
dinator was a member.
As a result of the accusations, money
approved for AATU through MSA now
goes only toward services that benefit
University students. Funds to aid non-
students must be obtained through do-
nations, grants and fund-raisers.
Today, about 60 percent of AATU
clients are students, while only half of
their funding comes from MSA.
A $0.25 fee included in University
tuition goes to fund AATU services.
"Relations with MSA are really ami-
cable now," said Amelia Tuminaro,
president of the AATU board. "We're
really working together to do our part,
on both sides. And so far, we're doing
really well this year.
"We have had a high volume of stu-
dent interaction and are serving our
tenants to the best of our abilities."
AATU serves a valuable purpose
within the University community,
Maurer said.
"The AATU has really succeeded in
fulfilling its niche within the commu-
nity," she said. "It provides a bridge
between the students and the city, which
aids in campus-community communi-
cation. The AATU really is people on
all different levels working together to
provide a suitable living environment."
Maurer said finding affordable hous-
ing was not easy before 1968. Students
would frequently wait outside The Ann
Arbor News building when the paper
published rental information, and then
race to apartment sites, Maurer said.
The housing problem for students in
Ann Arbor was declared one of the
worst in the nation, for its insufficient
conditions and fraudulent landlords,
Maurer said.
A group of University students, tired
of the inadequate conditions and ex-
pensive rent, formed AATU in 1968.
The group immediately organized a city-
wide rent strike to reduce prices and
improve conditions.
Within the first few years, AATU
attracted national attention. It set up the
first 24-hour tenant counseling line to
answer questions about tenants' rights
and landlord troubles.
Today, with much-improved condi-
tions, the hotline operates for 45 hours
per week, and still provides the same
purpose.
It was not until the 1970s that AATU
registered as a student group through
MSA. The administrative board in-
cluded a student majority and various
community members. They focused
their attention on modifying the Ann
Arbor housing code to monitor and
protect their clients.
From then on, AATU continued to
expand its services to its current state.
They began to publish a quarterly news-
paper and a variety of educational ma-
terial to be dispersed around Ann Ar-
bor. They saw the creation of their
weekly radio show, "Tenant Talk," and
continued personal consultation with
students.
"University Health Service has
warned all campus fraternities that
a former University coed who has
admitted having sexual relations
with more than 200 male students
has been hospitalized for treatment
of a severe case of gonorrhea."
"The 20-year-old girl reportedly
stayed at fraternity houses and
rooming houses in the campus area
over a period of several months.
Health Services has urged all men
to seek medical attention if they
had relations with the girl."
"Dr. Otto K. Engelke, director of
the Washtenaw County Health De-
partment, said his records show
four male University students who
lived in a rooming house on the
southeast side of the campus where
the girl last stayed have been treated
for gonorrhea."
"'The University student body
is remarkably free of venereal dis-
ease in view of the resurgence of
these diseases across the country,'
Dr. Morley B. Beckett, director of
Health Service said."
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ring Comm
encement
ter
Student Sp
Call, for Eni
S
The Office of
for
r a Student
University Relations is making a Call for Entries
Speaker at Spring Commencement
ay, May 4, 1996
What's happening in Ann Arbor this weekend
10:00 a.m.
Michigan Stadium
'_:qRa;
FRIDAY
Q "Caught Looking: Exhibiting the
Keisey," sponsored by Kelsey
Museum of Archaeology, 434
South State Street, reception 5-
9 p.m.; extended gallery hours 9
a.m.-9 p.m.
Q "Dutch Book ARguments De-
Pragmatized," David
Christensen, sponsored by Phi-
losophy Department, Administra-
tive Services Building, Room
2058, 4 p.m.
Q "Hybrid Digital Media Show,"
sponsored by entity, Ann Arbor
wanese American Students for
Awareness, location TBA, e-mail:
tasa.officers@umich.edu, 7 p.m.
U "Who's Who Among African Ameri-
cans," sponsored by Alpha Kappa
Alpha, Black History Month, in-
formational fliers passed out
around campus
U Shorin-Ryu Karate-Do Club, begin-
ners welcome, 994-3620, CCRB,
Room 2275, 6-7 p.m.
U Taekwondo Club, beginners and
other new members welcome,
747-6889, CCRB, Room 2275,
7-8:30 p.m.
the Future of the American La-
bor Movement," sponsored by
Graduate Employees Organiza-
tion, Michigan League, Koessler
Library, 3 p.m.
SUNDAY
Q "Ballroom Dance Classes," spon-
sored by Ballroom Dance Club,
Michigan Union Ballroom, 7 p.m.
beginning lesson, 8 p.m. dance
practice
Q "Martin Luther, Doctor and Con-
fessor," commemorating the
450th anniversary of Luther's
The student speaker must be receiving a Iache
during Winter Term 1996 or Summer Term 19
Submit
* Curriculum Vitae (or resume) highlighting U0
scholarship and campus leadership
" Typed draft of speech (no more than 5 minut
* Audio cassette tape of yourself reading the sr
Questions
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