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." great scores... Law School Business School Dente School Graduate Schoo Medical School great teachers... Kaplan helps you focus ur test rep teachers wiltsow you the proven skills and test-taking techniques to help you get a higher score. et ahigher score KAPLAN 1-800- KAP-TEST 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 . -.r+.- C c r ra a C. C' Q_"TC 7Af1l lr's de e 4 'I i .. >: