icr an t Weather onight: Mostly cloudy, Nhance of snow, low 18°. omorrow: Partly cloudy, snow likely, high 29°. One hundredfve years ofeditorialfreedom Friday March 1, 1996 ;, EO,'U' extend bargaining week By Anupama Reddy Daily Staff Reporter On the eve of spring break, members f the Graduate Employees Organiza- 'ion and the University have agreed to further extend negotiations to March 13. In yesterday's bargaining session, G MO members suggested focusing on Comic proposals, including wage hiid benefits proposals. Members of both sides agreed the decision would accelerate signing anew contract, but admitted that extensive negotiating still remains. "It's a good sign," said GEO Presi- dent Scott Dexter. "We're not com- pletely done talking about non-eco- nomic problems, but we feel like we've made good progress. "We want to carry that (progress) io economic proposals." University chief negotiator Dan Gamble said the union's suggestion was encouraging. "I came away from the table tonight with a very positive impression from the union," Gamble said. Though a final deadline has not been set for signing a tentative contract agree- ment, both GEO and University bar- ing team members recognized a time pressure. "Traditionally, the union has a need to sign as soon as possible - no later than the first of April - because the union needs time to get ratification of its members," Gamble said. Dexter said an April 1 agreement would be difficult without substantial talks on a wage proposal, which has only been recently raised. It would be wonderful to have a tative agreement by April 1, contin- gent on the membership ratification," he said. Dexter said signing another contract extension depended "largely on the quality of (March) 13's discussions. "So (it will be) one session at a time wie do sin another extension," he said. GEO and the University agreed yes- 1ay to hire an affirmative action liai- s n to a previously determined joint ;ommittee on affirmative action. The liaison would be a GEO member hired as a graduate student staff assistant and supervised by the dean of Rackham, Dexter said. i US. set to guard Cuban memorial Los Angeles Times WASHINGTON - Determined to head off another deadly confrontation between Cuban war- planes and unarmed civilians, President Clinton yesterday ordered the Coast Guard to escort an armada of Cuban exile aircraft and boats to a memorial demonstration this weekend for the pi- lots shot down off the island's coast last Saturday. Clinton directed the Coast Guard, with U.S. Navy and Air Force planes standing by to add military muscle, to prevent a Cuban attack on the exiles - while also making sure the demonstra- tors do not penetrate Cuba's waters or airspace. "The president has approved a strong warning to the Cuban government not to violate basic norms of international conduct," White House spokesperson Mike McCurry said in announcing Clinton's decision. "We will not tolerate the loss of American lives." But he added: "Unauthorized entry by U.S. aircraft and vessels into Cuban territory is pro- hibited, and firm legal action will face those who violate this prohibition." The president's decision, reached after a se- ries of White House meetings, is intended to make sure that members of the Brothers to the Rescue exile group will be able to conduct a peaceful and dignified memorial tomorrow hon- oring four of the organization's pilots who died when Cuban warplanes blasted their two tiny Cessna aircraft from the sky. The U.S. government and the Brothers group insist that the downed planes were not in Cuban airspace at the time; the Cuban government contends that they were. Although Coast Guard ships and aircraft do not carry armaments capable of combating Cu- ban warplanes. McCurry said, Clinton "is confi- dent the Pentagon can ... make sure that the steps he's outlined today are effective." He did not elaborate, but the aircraft carrier Enterprise and its battle group are operating off Puerto Rico. U'students, to attend servce. By Ann Stewart Daily Staff Reporter Eleven students participating in Alternative Spring Break plan to attend a memorial service in Miami for the four American pilots downed by Cuban military fighter planes last weekend. LSA junior Rolerto Pando, a leader of the Alternative Spring Break Miami site, said the Cuban American National Federation isencour- aging students from around the country to attend the public tribute Saturday at 5 p.m. in Orange Bowl Stadium. "Everybody in the group is excited," Pando said. "What surprised me is the way they are bringing everybody together." Alternative Spring Break is a campus organi. zation that allows students to travel to different parts of the country and perform community service during spring break. Pando's site is scheduled to go to Miami where they will aid Cuban refugees in conjunc- tion with Casa del Balsero, a group that takes donations of food and clothes for Cuban rafters. Cuban exile organizations invite the general public to the memorial service, that will honor the pilots who were members of Brothers to the Rescue, also an exile organization. This is the second year Miami will host an Alternative Spring Break site specifically to aid Cuban refugees. Last year's site members flew with Brothers to the Rescue pilots. The group of University students plans to begin the 24-hour drive to Miami this afternoon. See ASB, Page 2 We're outta here Damien Bajnath and Crystal Steed wait outside the Michigan Union for the Commuter bus. New hands to conduct 'M' Marching Band By Allan zikson Daily StaffTReporter After months of searching for a permanent replace- ment for Gary Lewis, the Michigan Marching Band on Wednesday announced that Kevin Sedatole will be- come its new director effective this August. Sedatole accepted his appointment from the School of Music on Monday, becoming the Band's I I th leader since its inception in 1898. Current Interim Director Jeff Grogan has accepted an appointment as associate director of the marching band. "We made a very wide search and had a strong applicant pool," said Paul Lehman, senior associate dean in the School of Music, who spearheaded the selection process with Music Prof. H. Robert Reynolds. "Kevin Sedatole is especially qualified because he is a superb musician and excellent conductor; he is particularly capable of inspiring our students, and has a high energy level," Lehman said. The recipient of numerous conducting awards and honors, Sedatole is currently, associate director of bands at Austin State University in Texas. Sedatole said he is very excited about coming to the University and working closely with Director of Bands Reynolds, one of Sedatole's professional inspirations. I feel like U-M is where real university bands had their beginnings with Dr. Revelli," Sedatole said. "There is a wonderful tradition ofexcel lence at Michi- gan that I want to become a part of and hopefully enhance. I'd want to continue the innovative show design that already goes on." Although the search was conducted by the fac- ulty, Lehman and Reynolds sought extensive student input from current marching band members. Lehman said he believes student involvement was critical because there is a special relationship between the band members and the director. "Students perceive the director and interact with the director a little differ- ently than the faculty might think," he said. Second-year Medical student John Schmidt, one of the six marching band members involved in the See SEDATOLE, Page 2 #'; Sedatole WANT TO BUY SOME COOKIES? 2 students to help pick ombudsperson tirlScouts peddle cookies on tampus By Marisa Ma Daily Staff Reporter The magic of Thin Mints, Caramel deLites and Peanut Butter Patties is that they can cheer up even a grey winter day during midterms. Girl Scout Cookie booth sales in the Ann Arbor area began this week and Wpus was no exception. On Monday, Junior Girl Scout Troop 942 paid the University a visit at their booth on the corner of South University and East University avenues, the begin- ning of about three weeks of cookie booth sales. Sales continue at the same corner this afternoon. College students tend to be very re- ceptive to Girl Scout Cookies, said *rjorie McRoberts, the troop leader. "(Students) say, 'It brings back memories when I used to sell them,'" McRoberts said. LSA senior Santhi Periasamy is one of these nostalgic former Girl Scouts. "It was a memorable experience and it By Jeff Eldridge Daily Staff Reporter The University's ombudsperson - an administrative figure who settles stu- dent disputes and helps students navi- gate the layers of academic bureau- cracy - has been without a permanent appointment for more than a year. But early this week, two students were appointed to serve on T a search committee toI select the next .i'As ombudsperson, and Dean of Students m e4 Royster Harper said yesterday the next with m ombudsperson should be in place July 1.. "I would love to itegrit get the search con- ducted and have a candidate for stu- dents in May,"- Harper said. "I am anticipating a com- mittee of seven, two of whom will be students." Harper said the other five committee members will be faculty and staff. Since January 1995, Jennifer Walters has been serving as the ombudsperson on an interim basis. Walters formerly served as the assistant ombudsperson at Michigan State University. "The ombudsnerson helos students resolution, and someone who has a lot of integrity," Harper said. "Experience on the University campus would be great, but not necessary." Michigan Student Assembly Rep. Probir Mehta, chair of the Campus Governance Committee, was respon- sible for finding two students to serve on the search committee. person to have xperience ediation a lot of - Royster Harper Dean of students "We only had a week to conduct the search," Mehta said. "We tries to get appli- cants, but there weren't many at all, which i{ a damr shame." CGC se- lected MSA Reps. Olga Savic anc M ic ha e SARA STILLMAN/Daily Jessica Doan, 9, a member of Girl Scout troop 942 peddles Girl Scout Cookies on the corner of South University and East University Avenues, near First of America Bank. McRoberts estimated the troop would make about $800 from one day's sales that would pay for the cookie purchases, camping trips and provide support to the Girl Scout Council. The troop has eight cookie varieties for .~.- ; nr.~t,,nt-.4af .l~ln a~aIiYY.- The first-time entreprenuers learn mathematical skills, too. "They keep track and record num- bers," McRoberts said. "They get to practice and see math in action." She added that the girls do not often have tha rhnnop to nrilp INO nnchen The troop also said they enjoyed meet- ing and talking with the customers. Customers' appetites also benefitted from the transactions. Explaining her box of Girl Scout Cookies, Laske said, "I have a huge seet tooth-" Nagrant. Savic said the choices were greatly limited. "The reason why both students (or the panel) are in MSA is because we couldn't find anyone in the larger stu- dent body pool," Savic said. Although the Division of Student Af fairs is attempting to create new source, for conflict mediation, Harper said the ombudsperson occupies a unique role. "There are many more concerns tha I I I I