LOCAL/STATE

The Michigan Daily - Friday, January 17, 1997 - 3

Apartment
resident makes
arson threat
resident of South Thayer
artment Complex called the Ann
A or Police Department reporting that
his irate friend was disturbing many of
the. ther residents by yelling, "Fire,
fire."
The resident said his friend claimed
he was going to burn down the apart-
men~t complex. AAPD arrived five
minuiites later and arrested the suspect,
who was found in his room with sever-
al matches and gasoline. The resident
*d the friend was going through emo-
tional problems. AAPD is still investi-
gating the case.
Multiple thefts
occur at CCRB
A caller reported that his wallet was
stofen from the second floor of the
main track of the Central Campus
creation Building on Monday night.
According to Department of Public
Safety reports, the caller said his leather
wallet contained more than $100, credit
cards and a driver's license.
"iihs was the fourth theft in the past
three weeks at the CCRB. On Sunday, a
caller reported that several of his items
were stolen from an open locker while
he vas taking a shower.
The caller reported a suspicious sub-
t following him while he was work-
out at the CCRB. He told DPS that
he believes the suspect stole his clothes
and wallet.
DPS has no suspects and has not
ruled out the possibility that the string
of thefts are related.,
Friend takes car
Jr joy ride
A caller reported Monday that his
car had been stolen from its parking
spot on Washtenaw Avenue. The car
was missing for five hours before it
waeported found at 2 a.m.
the caller later reported that his
roommate took the vehicle to run
errMds without his permission. The
caller was undecided about whether he
going to press charges and told
She would make a decision by
today.
South Quad a
site for injuries
A caller reported to DPS that a stu-
dent slipped and hurt his head and back
while throwing snowballs with one of
friends at South Quad.
DPS transported the student to the
emergency room of University
Hospitals for treatment. The student
had.a large cut on his head that required
sevral stitches.
DPS then escorted the injured stu-
deptto his residence at Bursley Hall.
In another incident at South Quad, a
caler reported a 54-year-old woman
wascomplaining of high blood pres-
sure and illness for 15 minutes. DPS
nsported the woman to the emer-
gencyroom.

Vo recorder
s~len while prof.
inbathroom
A4 professor who works in the
siness Administration Building
orted to DPS that a video recorder
had been stolen from his second-floor
classroom Monday.
7e professor said the recorder was
le.tmattended while he went to the
bathroom.
The caller said that when he
returned to the classroom, he found
the video recorder missing, according
to DPS reports. DPS has no suspects
in the case. The department estimated
* recorder's value at $350.
- Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter
Ajit K. Thavarajah.

Latino/a, Native American enrollment drops

Despite two-year trend,
overall minority enrollment
still on the rise
By Alice Robinson
Daily Staff Reporter
For the second year in a row, fewer Latino/a, and
Native American students enrolled at the
University, according to recently released figures.
This decrease differs from recent University fig-
ures, which shows a rise in the overall number of
incoming minority students this year and last.
Students and administrators said the University
may need to re-examine the way it recruits stu-
dents of color and look at the specificneeds of dif-
ferent minority communities in order to build a
more diverse learning environment.
Vice President for University Relations Walter
Harrison said the University considers a decrease

in enrollment figures significant when the num-
bers drop over a sustained period. "The concern
again is not the raw numbers ... but I think you
start to be concerned if you see a trend two years
in a row," Harrison said.
Last year, 1,498 Latino/a students were in the
incoming class- down 35 from the previous year.
This year, that number dropped further to 1,471.
There were 13 fewer Native American students
in 1995-96 than in 1994-95. Nineteen fewer
Native American students enrolled this year than
last year.
Harrison said the decreases indicate that recruit-
ment efforts ray need to be examined. "I think
that both these figures ought to provide us with an
occasion to review everything we're doing in
admissions," Harrison said.
"We want to make sure we're doing everything
possible to attract (Latino/a and Native American
students)," he said.

However, some students say University oticials
need to do more than talk about diversity. "I think
that what we're looking for is more than a com-
mitment and more than a statement," said LSA
senior Nora Salas, co-chair of Alianza, the
Latino/a student alliance.
"We're looking for a detailed plan of action to
address the impending Latino enrollment crisis;
Salas said.
Shannon Martin, Native American coordinator
for the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs, said
that although the difference in Native American
enrollment figures from year to year is small, it
should still be monitored.
"It's not significant," she said. "But any drop in
Native American enrollment is something we
should keep a pulse on."
Currently, minority students make up 25.4 per-
cent of the entire student population, an increase of
about 1-percent over last year.

There was a rise in the number of African
American and Asian American students who
enrolled in the class of 2000.
Recruitment efforts are often looked at as the
key method of increasing minority enrollment.
Jeannie Harris. speaker for the Black Student
Union, said each community has different needs.
"If the number of students enrolling from a
given racial group is dropping and the number of
students in another racial group is climbing, then
that points to the fact that the needs of the individ-
ual communities are different,' Harris said.
Despite programs such as the Comprehensive
Studies Program, minority students can some-
times find the University to be a cold place,
Martin said. "Students have conveyed to me that
it's not a very welcoming atmosphere for minori-
ty students."
"Some colleges have designated Native
American houses," Martin said.

County s
jobless
rate lowest
in state
November rates show
economic stability,
mayor says
By Jeffrey Kossoff
Daily Staff Reporter
Along with a Dow Jones average that
soared past 6,000, Ani Arbor residents
received another holiday economic pre-
sent - the lowest unemployment rate
in the state.
According to figures released by
the Michigan Employment Security
Agency, unemployment in Washtenaw
County was 1.9 percent for November
1996.
Keweenaw County holds
Michigan's highest unemployment
rate at 18.8 percent.
Mayor Ingrid Sheldon said Ann
Arbor is economically stable because
of its appeal to businesses and work-
ers.
"People think there are good
things happening here, and they
move their businesses here,"
Sheldon said.
"Generally, as a community, we do a
good job supporting and maintaining
businesses."
George Mechem, a MESA area ana-
lyst, said Ann Arbor's economy has
almost always been at the low end of
unemployment.
"It is frequently the lowest, and that
is because it's the hottest economy in
Michigan,' Mechem said.
Prof. Malcolm Cohen, director
emeritus of the University's Institute
of Labor and Industrial Relations,
said such low unemployment rates
are an indicator of a higher standard
of living.
"When you're dealing with numbers
like that, basically everyone is
employed," Cohen said.
Some say the University has a great
impact on Ann Arbor's prosperous
economy.
"The higher education community
creates a lot of jobs," said state Rep.
Liz Brater (D-Ann Arbor). "Along
with it come the spinoff research
industries."
Although Ann Arbor's unemploy-
ment rate is the lowest in the state, the
rate increased 0.1 percent. But
Mechem said those small fluctuations
are expected.
"It's less than a significant change,"
Mechem said. "That's a normal season-
al change."
Mechem said those seasonal changes
include construction companies clos-
ing for the winter and golf courses
shutting down.
The unemployment rate for
Michigan of 4.2 percent did not change
from October to November. However,
the rate is 0.5 percent lower than it was
one year ago.
The national unemployment rate for
November was 5.4 percent.


Red Cross to hold
emergecIy blood
drive at 'U' today

By Prachish Chakravorty
Daily Staff Reporter
The American Red Cross is appeal-
ing to the Ann Arbor community today
to donate blood at an emergency drive
following low holiday collections that
have left a shortage throughout
Washtenaw County.
The blood drive is being held at the
University's Plant Building Services
from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. - 9 p.m.
The drive is open to the puhic.
"Blood collec-
tions are normal-
ly low around the 'mere
holidays," said
Kevin Dowd, speCia1
director for the
W a s h t e n a w
Washenawthis Yoam
County American
Red Cross.
"There's a special Washte
problem this year
as the holidays
fell right in the
middle of the week."
Dowd said that during the holidays
people find it harder to go and donate
blood. He noted that this situation is
made more difficult because people
usually wait until after the holidays to
schedule elective surgery. As a result,
there tends to be an increase in demand
and a slump in supply following the
winter break.

"(This year) they're about 2,000 pints
of blood short of a level they'd feel
comfortable with," Dowd said. "That's
about a two-day inventory."
Dowd added there is an urgent need
for blood donors.
"A (single) person donates one pint,"
he said.
The process is straightforward, Dowd
said. He hopes people who have never

given blood before
donors today.

problem
r ... .


will join regular
"For people
who have never
given before,
it's a very sim-
plc, safe proce-
dure. The actu-
al donation
only takes

Ma

Kevin Dowd about seven to
aw County Red 10 minutes."
Cross director Dowd said.
Engineering
junior Jeff
Lemaster, who has given blood three
times in the past, said donating is easy
and mostly painless.
"I'm a member of Alpha Phi Omega.
We do the fll blood battle, so we always
get students who ask if it hurts,"
Lemaster said. "It doesn't really hurt. (It
hurts) just as much as getting a shot."
Lemaster said it can be difficult to build
up the nerve to give blood.

JOHN KRAFT/Daily
a2zing it up
Nick Calandro and the rest of the Jake Reichbart Quartet performed last
night at Ashley's for a quiet evening of jazz. Last night's performance was
one in a series of jazz performances for the month of January at Ashley's.

Mich. workers attack liquor privatization

LANSING (AP) - State employees
yesterday launched a fresh legal attack
on Gov. John Engler's plan to privatize
liquor distribution in Michigan.
Meanwhile, the main question for
most was whether liquor supplies on
party store shelves and in bars and
restaurants were getting thin. The
answer appeared, at least for the time
being, that they were not.
"I sell quite a bit of booze this time of
year so I need a good steady supply,"
said Andy Gurchiek, the owner of
Crystal Mountain Party and Liquor
Store, just two miles from the Crystal
Mountain ski resort in northern
Michigan.
State Liquor Control Commission
employees asked a judge yesterday to
force the state to allow them to start dis-
tributing liquor again.
They say they were ordered this week

by LCC management not to ship liquor
from the state's two main warehouses
that still have inventory to the 63 small-
er state-run mini-warehouses around
the state that serve retailers.

That, they
said, is in viola-
tion of a 14-day
i n j n e t i o n
issued last
Friday. In it,
Ingham County
Circuit Judge
J a m e s
G i d d i n g s
blocked the
new privatized
plan that was to

Its not
matter of i
allowing t
move the l
- P
-- Engler s

ering liquor from distillers to the more
than 13,000 bars, restaurants and party
stores in Michigan. In the state-run
system, businesses either went to mini-
warehouses, which are supplied by the
main warehous-
es, to pick up
their liquor or
paid a private
no[ company to do it
for them.
em r to The LCC "is
refusing to allow
" =its employees to
at Masserant distribute liquor
for the purpose
spokesperson of generating an
artificial short-
age of liquor at the retail level, in order
to create the false impression that this
court's temporary restraining order,
instead of the (LCC's) refusal in bad

faith to comply with it, is preventing
the distribution of liquor," the motion
said.
As evidence, the motion included
affidavits from state liquor warehouse
managers saying the main facilities
have about a 2-week supply on hand,
with shortages of a few brands. In
addition, the affidavits said the smaller
outlets have about a 4-week supply,
and that none was completely out of
stock.
The motion - filed by employee
unions Michigan State Employees
Association and the Michigan
Association of Governmental
Employees - also asked Giddings to
find the LCC and its chief, Phil
Arthurhulz, and business manager,
Asha Shah, in contempt of court.
Giddings scheduled a late Friday after-
noon hearing.

take effect Monday and left in place the
state-run system.
Under privatization, about a dozen
private companies were to begin deliv-



OMA
Continued from Page 1
Law Dean Jeffrey Lehman, who
chaired last year's presidential search
advisory committee, said the Court of
Appeals should not have overturned the
original ruling.
"In my sense of it, it is quite clear that
it is against the constitution to apply the
OMA in this way," Lehman said.
University officials say they are

unhappy about Tuesday's decision.
"It is a disappointing decision," said
Vice President of University Relations
Walter Harrison. "I don't believe that it
will have any effect on future searches
because the new Legislature will give
us a blueprint of how to do future
searches."
But if certain new amendments to
OMA had not been approved last week,
the University might be worse off, he
said.


RIDAY
'Conversations with Courtney Cllxby,"
programming sponsored by Unions
Network Television, channel 24, 3
p.m. and 8 p.m.
Q "DeliveringShabbat Meals," sponsored
_-~. by Hillel, 1429 Hill St., 3 p.m.-4:15
par for ., p - :
"Ireparing far the Medical School
.. I.i.w.2.u. nrnnnnnel k" o .O.Dn

You Down!" Sponsored by Hillel,
1429 Hill St., 7 p.m.
[ "Dr. Wiwa and How You Affect Nigerian
Human Rights and Environment,"
Sponsored by the Environmental
Justice Club, Michigan League,
Mendelssohn Theater, 8 p.m.
Q "Free MCAT and Review of Results,"
sponsored by The Princeton Review,
1290 .Universitv. Suite 209. cor-

a "Advent Service of Lessons and
Carols," sponsored by Lutheran
Campus Ministry, Lord of Light
Church, 801 South Forest, 10 a.m.
D "Dr. Wilwa on Human Rights and
Environment," Book signing,
Sponsored by Environmental Justice
Group, Guild House, 802 Monroe
behind the Law Quad, 12:00 p.m.

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