LOCAL/STATE
The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, February 5, 1997 - 3
U. Nebraska
decides not to
unish fraternity
Sigma Chi fraternity will not face
university sanctions for controversial
rituals - including the burning of a
cross - it conducted two weeks ago,
according to The Daily Nebraskan.
University of Nebraska officials said
the fraternity's actions did not violate
,the University Student Code of
Conduct.
University leaders, however, said the
. cident will be used to raise cultural
areness on campus.
No arrests were made as a result of
the rituals and the university said the
actions were protected by the First
Amendment. The rituals re-enacted the
founding of the university by soldiers
during the Civil War.
Activists arrested
at Berkeley
*The Daily Californian reported four
pro-affirmative action protesters were
arrested after they interrupted a speech
given by Chang-Lin Tien, chancellor at
the. University of California-Berkeley.
The protest was in response to Tien's
refusal to defy a move by the
University of California Board of
Regents to end affirmative-action poli-
cies in university hiring and admis-
sions.
California's Proposition 209, which
is awaiting court approval due to an
appeal, requires all state universities to
end, affirmative-action programs. The
ban on affirmative-action is planned to
take effect for undergraduates applying
for the spring 1998 semester.
Rash of fires hit
U. of Miami
* Five fires broke out on the
University of Miami campus in one
week, according to The Chronicle of
Higher Education. The investigators
ruled one of the fires an arson, but the
other four incidents are believed to be
accidents.
No one was hurt in any of the fires.
The arson fire caused more than
$100,000 in damage to the university's
basketball facility.
Local police in Miami said no arrests
ave been made.
Student wins sex-
video lawsuit
The Chronicle of Higher Education
reported that a federal judge has barred
the University of South Florida from
disciplining a student who showed a
sexually explicit video outdoors on
rnpus.
.The student, Amy Andre, sued the
university for violating the First
Amendment after officials seized the
video, "Annie Sprinkle's Sluts and
Goddesses Video Workshop."
Andre sought the injunction after the
university threatened her academic
standing.
The presentation of the tape was
part of a celebration for a new stu-
nt-run literary journal that focuses
sex.
Fraternity found
guilty of hazing
The Phi Gamma Delta fraternity was
temporarily suspended by Texas A&M
University for alleged hazing rituals
that included "hosing down" pledges
th a water hose, reported The
attalion.
The university suspended the chapter
after learning that the Brazos County
Sheriff's Office was conducting its own
nvestigation.
-Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter
Chris Metinko.
MSA will
not probe
Mehta s
allocation
By Katie Plona
Daily Staff Reporter
In a secret-ballot vote, Michigan
Student Assembly members narrowly
decided not to investigate alleged mis-
appropriations by MSA Vice President
Probir Mehta.
LSA Rep. Andy Schor introduced the
resolution to form an investigative com-
mittee, which members voted down 12-
18 at last night's weekly MSA meeting.
If passed, the committee would have
investigated a $500 allocation to the
United Asian American Organization,
which Mehta signed without assembly
approval in September.
When Schor proposed his resolution,
he said it "does not pronounce guilt or
innocence,' but proves that MSA is tak-
ing action to make sure rules are not
broken again.
"I think we need to hold our mem-
bers accountable for what they do,"
Schor said. "I'm not doing it because
it's Probir - this is not a personal
thing."'
While Mehta admits his mistake, he
contended he could not get assembly
approval for the fund transfer because
not enough MSA members were pre-
sent to make quorum at its summer
meetings.
Mehta said he realizes that he let
some people down and he hopes the
assembly can move forward.
"I'm really glad the assembly has
turned back this mean-spirited resolu-
tion and gotten back to working togeth-
er instead of working against each
other," Mehta said. "(The investigation)
would have resulted in dragging MSA
Blackout leaves
students in dark
MSA Vice President Probir Mehta consults with MSA President Fiona Rose at last
night's MSA meeting. The assembly voted against forming a committee to investi-
gate the charges of misappropriated funds.
By Ajit K. Thavarajah
Daily Staff Reporter
Darkness descended upon hundreds
of University students and employees
yesterday afternoon when a Michigan
Union cable cord that is linked to a pri-
mary power transceiver broke.
Nine University buildings were left
without power for more than an hour.
Kenneth Beaudry, director of the
University's utilities system, said this
may have been expected because the
cable cord that broke is old.
"Basically, we lost a main cable cord,
which carries a voltage of over
300,000. The cord was more than 30-40
years old and the insulation had worn
down from inclement weather,"
Beaudry said.
"Normally when this happens water
eventually gets in and causes the trans-
ceiver in the power grid to be destroyed,"
he added. "In actuality, it only takes five
minutes to activate the second cable, but
we wanted to make sure that there was no
danger involved for anyone before we
turned the power back on."
After the initial shock from the sud-
den darkness, along with cries of
anguish from several computer users,
there was a frantic search for flashlights
and candles,
several stu-
dents said. it turn
"I was typing
up my English be a very
midterm paper
when the power for use
went out," said
LSA sopho- - De
more Marcus Yes Sandwich
Holmes. "I was
almost positive
that I had saved
it on disk, but I quickly realized that I
was out of luck and was going to have
to start all over again."
Lunch was interrupted for South
Quad and West Quad residents because
the cafeteria employees could not check
meal plan cards.
Engineering senior Leslie Hartig,
who works in the South Quad cafeteria,
said initially students were allowed into
the cafeteria.
"We had to write down the name and
number of every student from their
MCard," Hartig said. "The cafeteria
stopped letting people in when the line
got too long, and then, started letting
people in again at around 12:45."
LSA first-year student Joseph
Lowery said he was upset with the way
the situation was handled.
"I'm royally pissed off that they
wouldn't let us eat at the cafeteria. This
is the only hour of the day I can eat
receive MSA funds.
"That's something to keep in mind,"
Lopez said, adding that groups that did
not receive MSA funding this summer
may want to know why an exception
was made for UAAO.
Other members were ready to move
on to new business.
"I think it's good that we've come to
a decision one way or another," said
and its mem-
bers through
the mud."
"I think the
assembly voted
the best way,"
"I think the
assembly voted
777777
Rose said. [n e Osr[
Many mem-
bers expressed
opposing opin-
ions, which
reflected the
close vote.
Rackham Rep. John Lopez said the
assembly should keep in mind that five
or six other groups came to the summer
assembly that had not been reaching
quorum, but unlike UAAO did not
way "
- Fiona Rose
MSA president
intentions were.
"I don't want to
table to the point
LSA Rep. Erin
Carey. "I hope
that (Mehta) does
work to make
sure people's
fears are alleviat-
ed."
Engineering
Rep. David
Burden said the
main issue was
not what Mehta's
sweep this under the
where we look like
fact that MSA was able to accommo-
date UAAO.
"Rather than focus on an investiga-
tive committee, I think the assembly
would better spend its time by looking
into their rules for allocating money
during the summer and making sure
that student groups can receive the
funding that they need," Cherukuri
said.
MSA President Fiona Rose said
Mehta's allocation benefited students.
"The primary goal of this administra-
tion is to serve students better than
we've served them in the past," Rose
said. "In a sense, Probir was keeping
with this philosophy when he signed
the disbursement form."
Mehta said he has always maintained
an "open door" policy and that he
invites people to talk about finances.
"In the end, my conscience is clear
because I think I had the right inten-
tions - and let no man doubt that,'
Mehta said, adding that he made a mis-
take by not communicating with the
assembly. "My heart was in the right
place when I made the decision."
t
e
Power problems:
South Quad
West Quad
Fleming Administration Building
LSA Building
Student Activities Building
Student Publications Building
Institute for Social Research
Helen Newberry
Betsey Barbour
lunch," Lowery said. "They shouldn't
have worried about the people who
don't have meal plans taking food.
Their concern should have been for the
students who do have meal plans even
if it meant students without the plan
getting food."
Bill Durell, assistant director of diet-
ing services, maintained good spirits in
spite of the dining room pandemonium.
"This kind of thing breaks the routine
and causes a hassle for the cafeteria,"
Durell said.
But the misfortune of the students
meant profits for restaurants in the
Union.
Derrick Swanson, assistant manager
of Yes Sandwich Cafe, was surprised
with the unusdal-
ly large number
ed out to of customers.
"We ended up
good day with nearly dou-
ble the business
we usually
receive on week-
:rrick Swanson days. It turned.
Cafe assistant out to be a very
manager good day for us,"
Swanson said.
For some stu-
dents, there was more excitement than a
blackened room or a closed cafeteria.
LSA first-year student A.C. Irving, a
South Quad resident, was trapped in an
elevator from the beginning of the
power outage until about 1:15 pate.,
when two police pried the doors open.
"I was in there for nearly an hour,
and I was a little scared," Irving said.°"I
missed sociology and didn't get any-
thing to eat.
"I knew we'd get out, I just didn't
know when," Irving said.
Joe Kennedy, South Quad facilities
manager, remembered past outages, but
said that none had lasted as long.
"Many were after hours, and didn't
affect classes and cafeterias," Kennedy
said. "We are prepared for these kind of
situations if they arrive. Hopefully, we
can avoid these types of situations."
- Daily Staff Reporter Joelle Renstrom
contributed to this report.
we're being corrupt," Burden said.
UAAO Chair Sudhakar Cherukuri
said his organization appreciates the
School of Education gets
$1.2M for doctoral programs
MSU president
gives annual address:
By Carrie Luria
Daily Staff Reporter
Educational research development is
the goal of a recent $1.2-million grant
allocated to the doctoral programs in
the School of Education by the Spencer
Foundation.
"Five or six of our admitted students
a year will be Spencer Fellows," said
Education Dean Cecil Miskel.
These students will receive full
scholarships for up to five years, a liv-
ing stipend and a research position with
a University professor.
"The grant is for providing support
for doctoral students who are preparing
to become researchers," Miskel said.
Catherine Lacey, senior program
officer at the Spencer Foundation, said
the fellowships are aimed at enabling
the students to concentrate more fully
on their studies.
"If students don't have to worry
about money, hopefully they will be
able to give more time to their studies,'
Lacey said.
Charlotte Briggs, a second-year doc-
toral student at the School of Education
and Spencer fellow, said she would feel
insecure about her financial situation
had she not received the grant.
"It had made a huge difference to me,"
Briggs said. "I am not sure I would have
risked going to graduate school if I was
not sure of a secure financial situation."
Lacey said many education students
are forced to go in and out of school
because of their shaky financial status.
"While other students are worried
about getting money for their next
semester, I can concentrate on my work
and my research," Briggs said.
In order to receive the grant, the
University needed to submit a proposal
containing its plans to improve educa-
tion and research in the field of educa-
tion.
"Michigan has already and will con-
tinue to examine and innovate their
doctoral program," Lacey said. "We are
always looking for better ways to
approach the economic and social prob-
lems that accompany education."
Although the grant is given directly
to the University and not to the stu-
dents, the University then allocates
much of the money to individuals.
"They want to invest in individual
people," Briggs said. "This new grant
is also trying to find ways to spread
research in the school of education"
This new grant is a renewal of a
research training grant received by the
University and Spencer fellows in the
past three years.
School of Education officials said
they plan to use the grant over the next
five years to fund future fellows and
make research improvements.
The Spencer Foundation is an organi-
zation founded to support and develop
research in education.
EAST LANSING (AP) - Michigan
State University will not forget its goals
for increasing the diversity of its facul-
ty but will not set binding percentages
for hiring, President M. Peter
McPherson said yesterday.
"While I am president of Michigan
State University, we will not let diversi-
ty slip from our agenda," he said in his
annual State of the University speech.
While he said he would not set goals
in terms of percentages, McPherson
said he would nonitor the number of
faculty members from under-represent-
ed groups.
"I firmly believe that if we work
harder and better to create diverse
pools, we will hire more excellent can-
didates from under-represented
groups," he said.
Michigan State Provost Lou Anna
Simon said the percentage of black fac-
ulty at Michigan State is about 4.6 per-
cent.
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What's happening In Ann Arbor today
GRouP MEETINGS
UKorean Students Association, Mass
meeting, Michigan League,
Henderson Room, 7 p.m.
' The Law Panel, 997-9137, Michigan
Union Pendleton Room, 6:30-8
Reform Chavurah, Weekly meeting,
669-0388, Hillel, 1429 Hill St.,
7:30 p.m.
U Student Group for Relatives of
Persons with Mental illness 994-
6611, Lounge of St. dlare's
Episcopal Church, 2309 Packard
Rd., 7:30-9:00 p.m.
SUnited Asian American Organizations
Weeklv meet ing. 996-4588.
Activities Building, 6:30-8 p.m.
Q"Epiphony Evening Prayer," sponsored
by The Lutheran Campus Ministry,
801 S. Forest Ave., 7 p.m.
Q "River Huston," sponsored by AIDS
Education is On Us, Michigan
Union Ballroom, 8 p.m.
Q "Preparing for an international
Career," sponsored by CP&P,
International Center, 7-8:30 p.m.
U "Luis J. Rodriguez," lecture, spon-
sored by MEChA, East Hall, Aud.
1324, 5-8 p.m.
Q "Safer Sex Workshop: Men Who Have
Sex with Men," sponsored by
LGBPO, Michigan Union, LGBPO
Lounge, 9-11 p.m.
Q "Safer Sex Workshop: Women Who
Sponsored by The Division of
Student Affairs, 2545 Student
Activities Building, 12:10-1 p.m.
SERVICES
U Campus Information Centers,
Michigan Union and Pierpont
Commons, 763-INFO,
info@umich.edu, UM*Events on
GOpherBLUE, and http://
www.umich.edu/~info on the
World Wide Web
U English Composition Board Peer
Tutoring, need help with a paper?,
Angell Hall, Room 444C, 7-11
p.m.
J Northwalk, 763-WALK, Bursley Hall,
A
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