T4. i l i _t_...r....r t'1.. :1.. T.........l.... A..t.L...... +"If1 A 11f1L^ ? IM talks set to start again today LOCAL/STATE Mne MIcn gan. uaiy - luesoay, International hour helps to bridge nationalities 39 - 7 DETROIT (AP) - Contract talks between General Motors Corp. and the Jnited Auto Workers union were set to resume today amid the lingering threat of walkouts at selected assembly plants. UAW President Stephen Yokich said yesterday that the union had no imme- diate plans to strike after weekend negotiations failed to produce an agree- ment by the union's midnight Sunday deadline. While Yokich said he was commit- d to reaching an agreement at the bargaining table, he also left open the possibility that some UAW-GM locals could call strikes at individual plants. "These locals are going to have to take a look at it themselves' Yokich told a news conference at Solidarity House, the union's headquarters. Once the deadline passed, the UAW's extension of the old GM con- act terminated, freeing the union to call a strike. UAW-GM locals with no local agreements are free to call walk- outs with the national union's approval. Yokich said GM employees would continue to work for the time being without a contract. Dale Brickner, a labor professor at Michigan State University, said Yokich was "sort of ratcheting up the suspense, 'f not the threat. It keeps the pressure UnGM to sort of put the final touches on the thing" ® Program aims to bring foreign, native students together By Nick Farr Daily Staff Reporter A few years ago, a group of students from abroad approached the University with a problem. "They came to us saying they had a hard time meeting other international students in social and informal atmos- pheres,' said I-Lun Ellen Chang, who works for the University's International Center. To boost social interaction ( between international students, the - International Center started the of International Friendship Hour. Meeting in the Michigan League's buffet, International Friendship Unie Hour brings in ethnic foods and entertainment to create an informal div rs, j atmosphere of relaxation and dis- cussin.the "International Friendship Hour helps to get people to mingle and dislikes." interact, said Rachel Persico, an International student adviser. "It - Benjit helps people from different parts of Mj the world to get acquainted, and to relax together before the weekend.' programm One of the purposes of the get- together is to promote interaction between international and American students. "International students are looking to build friendships with American students, since they come all the way to Michigan to study' Chang said. Chang believes that American students, who only com- prise only a handful of the 40-50 students who attend on a biweekly basis, can benefit from interacting with interna- tional students. "American students can take advantage of the interna- tional student population, either by finding friends for when they travel abroad, or just to learn more about different cul- tures," Chang said. Matthew Rierle, an RC junior, said more students would come to the event if they knew about it. "There has to be a way to get more exposure for it. I think it's really important that at one of the most multina- tional universities that there is a forum like this,' Rierle said. The hour also allows students to find common ties and to ttd that - th y ®s likes and a Maria Murrel ichigan League ing coordinator talk about life at the University. "You find even though the University of Michigan is diverse, you have the same likes and dislikes," said Michigan League Programming Coordinator Benita Maria Murrel. "There's a commonality. You resolve your differences, and your world becomes quite small." Tomas Larsson, a Engineering sec- ond-year graduate student from Sweden, said he enjoys meeting old friends at the biweekly event, and looks forward to making new ones. "It's such a good environment. I like to meet new people from all different places," Larsson said. "It's a good, relaxed way to meet." Originally from Russia, LSA junior Tania Ionin said the hour would help JULLY PARK/Daily Todd Cashbaugh, gallery preparator for Slusser and Media Union Galleries on North Campus, takes down an African textile exhibit. Cashbaugh said the gallery has lost some of its funding in the past year. I ' AFFI R"ATIVE Continued from Page 1 boils down to discrimination. Nicholas Kirk, president of the campus ollege Republicans, said he hopes that if epublican presidential nominee Bob Dole is elected, he will end affirmative action. Kirk said Dole's message is one of unity and that unity cannot be achieved if affirmative action is still in place. "Discrimination for a group is discrimina- tion against another group," Kirk said. "I think Bob Dole's plan is to kick it out.' Dole said he is committed to protecting the civil rights of all Americans. He said he has fought for voting rights, for non-discrimination *n housing and employment, and for rights of people with disabilities. Dole introduced the Equal Opportunity Act of 1995, which would prohibit granting of group preferences by the federal government in federal contracting, employment and federal programs. But in protecting civil rights, preferences must not be given out, Dole said. "The key is to guarantee the opportunity to compete, not to rig the results of the competi- *ion with quotas, set-asides and other prefer- ences,' Dole said in a statement. Literature provided by the Michigan Dole/Kemp campaign says Dole is against race-based employment decisions, race-based scholarships and race-based university admis- sions. "Bob Dole believes that Americans should be judged as individuals, on the basis of their own unique talents and abilities;" the statement says. The literature says Dole would like to see, "Aggressive, determined and persistent recruit- ment of minorties and women by business, government and universities?' President Clinton contends that affirmative action is still useful. "Affirmative action has been good for A ffiri America;' Clinton said in a statement. "That does action h4 not mean it has always been perfect. It does not good to, mean it should go on for- ever. It should be retired That doe when its job is done, and I am resolved that day mean it will come. But ... the job is not done ..." alw ys Clinton ordered a review of the federal gov- per/fect ernment's affirmative - action programs in 1995. -___ The review concluded that affirmative action is still useful in expanding economic and educa- tional opportunities. Clinton said he is against special treatment, but is committed to ensuring equal opportuni- ty for all. He said he has demonstrated this commitment repeatedly throughout his tenure I '4 in office. There is still a need for race-conscious affirmative action measures in terms of assistance to small businesses owned by eco- nomically and socially disadvantaged groups, Clinton said. Affirmative action pro- grams aid in preventing discrimination, he said. Clinton/Gore officials said four standards are needed to ensure the fairness of affirmative action programs: no quotas, no reverse dis- iative crimination, no prefer- ences for unqualified S enindividuals,no continu- ation of programs after 4me rca . they have reached their goals. Under Clinton, the Department of a Education reversed a Bush administration en policy forbidding col- leges and universities from receiving federal funds for offering schol- esident Clinton arships only awarded to minority students. Hoffman said many of the arguments candidates tout about affir- mative action are invalid. "Affirmative action laws have never called for quotas. That's absurd. That's a misnomer being thrown around a lot;'he said. "Affirmative action laws set up guidelines to establish goals." DEBATE Continued from Page 1 area, I think our attention to public safety should be increased," Sheldon said. "We need to be in cooperation with the University to ensure that everyone feels safe?' Some in the crowd said they were impressed by the debate. "After listening to the candidates, I think that Chris Kolb appeared more in touch with the students' concerns,' said Ryan Friedrichs, a life-long Ann Arbor resident. "Maybe it is because he was a student here at the University himself." After the conclusion of the mediated questions, the floor was opened to the public. NWROC supporters asked the candidates to respond to the issues they feel are more salient to the community. Both candidates were reluctant to take firm positions on the questions they posed, specifically about the impending charges against the KKK rally protesters. "They won't address the problems that are really affecting the community, like racism and anti-youth legislation;' said Jessica Curtin, an NWROC mem- ber. "What they give us is their posi- tions on parking permits; not the real issues." anyone discover different cultures. "I think people learn what it's like to be in a different country. It's a good experience for meeting people," Ionia said. Co-sponsored by the Michigan League and the International Center, International Friendship Hour meets from 4-6 p.m. every other Friday. The event is open to all University students. SEARCH Continued from Page 1 Stanley Chodorow as the 12th president. "I think he was more upfront on a lot of the issues," Pniewski said. He said Chodorow specifically addressed cut- ting the budget, working with students, and issues concern- ing undergraduate education. "Most students I talked to agree that Chodorow is the best," he added. "Faulkner would be a good second choice." Regent Philip Power (D-Ann Arbor) said that since the court decision bars the regents from discussing candidates privately, members of the board have been left to fact-check on their own. "I have done some reference checks on my own, Newman said. "I have a better understanding of the four individuals." The regents would not speculate on whether additional names will be added. According to the search plan the board outlined last spring, individual regents may add names to the list at any time. "I am very comfortable with these four ... yet I'm always open,' Newman said. Newman also said the board will be careful when publicly discussing the four candidates. "The idea is to try not to impugn any reputations,' Newman said. "You're picking the one with the best fit. I don't think choosing one says anything less about the other three.' FAULKNER Continued from Page £ dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Illinois before he began in the provost position. Last week, the regents interviewed the three other candidates PSAC had recommended - Carol Christ, provost at the University of California at Berkeley; Stanley Chodorow, provost at the University of Pennsylvania; and Dartmouth Provost Lee Bollinger. A uni t Yesterday, Faulkner dressed concerns about the abouti thE rowing necessity of cutting costs while still maintaining It eXjsts academic excellence, an issue that he said is "at the heart of a Q .. the higher education agenda." He said the University is the ca$ "financially stronger" than bett £ other public institutions, but it r uu is still "not immune" to cost- __ cutting pressures. , "The University of U preside Viichigan is an expensive place to go to school," he told about 50 people at the town-hall meeting yesterday afternoon. "The University has relatively little room to use tuition policy as a way to solve financial difficulties." Faulkner also addressed the concern that the public perception of universities is declining. He said the University specifically is becoming more isolated from its responsibility to serve the state. "Large universities have gotten away from the con- ept ... that the public deserves services from the University," he said. Public research universities like Michigan have additional social responsibilities - a concept of higher education with which he fell in love as an undergraduate student at Southern Methodist University. He said that as higher education faces the chal- lenges of the future, the University - the "exquisite end of an exquisite creation" - must work extra hard to keep this notion alive. rersity is future. because .believe i bea -Larry Faulkner ntial candidate "A university is about the future,' he said. "It exists because people ... believe there can be a better future?' Chemistry Prof. Thomas Dunn, chair of the faculty's gov- erning body, asked Faulkner about his views on tenure. "I strongly support the tenure system," Faulkner said, but added that faculty members must prove to the public that they deserve academic free- dom. "If we cannot demonstrate to the public a reasonable level of responsibility ... it may be removed from us;' Faulkner and asked Faulkner how he would respond. "It's absolutely essential for the institution, and especially the faculty, to provide a secure learning environment for students," he said. The situation she outlined involved a tenured professor who exposed himself to a student and then attempted to rape her. "The institution has an obligation to do what it can to remove the member," responded Faulkner, who said sexual harassment cases have arisen at Illinois. "We have been as forceful as the law will allow in protect- ing the integrity of the academic environment?' Faulkner said he is unaware of a sexual harassment case with the characteristics MacKinnon described, but said there was a recent Illinois case between two faculty members. The case resulted in a hung jury and was not addressed formally at the university level. Regent Nellie Varner (D-Detroit) asked Faulkner during the morning interview about the role of facul- ty governance. "Anyone who is likely to be affected by a decision deserves to be consulted," he said. "That is my simple rule of thumb?' Faulkner said he meets monthly with Illinois' stu- dent trustee and has organized task forces to address various issues. Michigan Student Assembly LSA Rep. Dan Serota said he liked that Faulkner was "frank about balancing costs" and seemed receptive to student issues. Faulkner said the interview's public environ- ment makes it more difficult to interact with the regents. "It's extremely difficult in the process to come to know the personalities of the individuals at this table:' he said. "It is also difficult for them to come to know my personality?' STA Travel is the world's largest travel organization specializing in low-cost travel for students. "*uln I~n estir.IhSCOL " FXLIrail 'a3ssc.' 1-Lstel Meltnbeiship " AroI'Ol ~ithe Xroiid " SprinIg leak . Travel Insurance . Packages for 18-34 yrs. PSST! Going somewhere else? STA Travel has great student airfares to destinations around the world. said. Faulkner also addressed other typical questions that have been raised during the town-hall meet- ings, including the influence of technology, the university of the 21st century, student and faculty governance and the future of University Hospitals. One unexpected question came from Law School Prof. Catharine MacKinnon, a feminist legal scholar, who posed a hypothetical sexual harassment situation Law School Business School Dental drool i .:5.