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One hundred sax years of edztorl freedo
Monday
February 17, 1997
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CZhicano
poet
speaks of
civilrights
By Alice Robinson
Daily Staff Reporter
When it comes to the Mexican
American civil rights movement, Ana
Castillo knows what she's talking about.
She should - she was there.
Castillo, the author/activist who
gave the closing address for Chicano
History Week celebrations on campus
rday, said she came out of the
'i cano rights movement of the 1970s
"with the realization that because I was
a woman, I was experiencing the revo-
lution differently from my male coun-
terparts."
About 50 people gathered in East
Hall to hear Castillo's comments and
to get their newly purchased books
signed.
Castillo, who has published four
books of poetry and three novels, often
Ows on her experiences and observa-
tions from the Chicano rights move-
ment, which took place from 1965-
1975, as well as social issues and her
own cultural background for her writ-
ing.
The event was sponsored by La Voz
Mexicana, with help from the Office
of Academic and Multicultural
Initiatives, the Womens' Studies
epartment and other University
artments.
The Chicago-born author said she
became more reflective after the
1970s. "In the '80s, I continued to
write, and my world began to expand,"
Castillo said.
Encompassing a wide variety of
political and personal experiences in
her hourlong reading, Castillo spoke
earnestly about people she admired -
migrant farm workers' advocate Cesar
gavez and Sister Diana Ortiz, an
Xmerican nun working in Guatemala
who was sequestered and tortured.
See CHICANO, Page 7A
Aibright
tours Italy
The Washington PostF
ROME - Never at a loss for a cliche, the Italian press
greeted America's new secretary of state yesterday as the
"iron lady" of U.S. diplomacy. The comparison with Britain's
Margaret Thatcher may be a bit of a stretch, but Madeleine
Albright did display a certain Thatcheresque streak in her
ministerial debut on the world stage.
She lectured the Italians on not doing business with "rogue
states" like Libya and Cuba, informed Russia that NATO
expansion will go ahead regardless of any Kremlin objec-
tions, and rejected a French demand that a European be
appointed to head NATO's Southern Command. At the end of
the day, she posed for photographs with tourists on a hill
overlooking the Forum.
"Awesome," said a star-struck American student, echoing a
word used by Albright earlier this month to describe U.S. for-
eign policy. "It's the secretary of state."
In the absence of a great deal of new
substance, style took center stage on
Albright's visit to Italy at the start of a
nine-country, I1-day world tour. 4
Albright's aides were anxious to draw
attention to their boss' penchant for
speaking her mind in closed-door ses-
sions with Italian leaders, and her will-
ingness to depart from her brief.
"Her style is frank and direct, but not
rude," said one official, in describing Albright
how the secretary had told Italian lead-
ers that the European policy of fostering a "critical dialogue"
with countries like Iran was going nowhere.
Albright preferred to describe her style as "friendly," an
implied contrast to the aloof, lawyerly ways of her predeces-
sor, Warren Christopher. "It's a very people-to-people style.
Everybody has their own style, and I am trying my own out"
she told reporters. To underline the new informality, she
chose to begin her trip by donning a black Stetson hat
acquired during a visit to Texas.
It remains to be seen how well the Albright style is greet-
ed in France and China, where diplomats are expected to fol-
low rigid rules of procedure. But it appeared to go down well
with the Italians, who seem grateful for any kind ofAmerican
attention. Italy may boast the world's fifth-largest economy,
after the United States, Japan, Germany, and France, but
Italian leaders are forever complaining about being left out in
the diplomatic cold.
Italy strongly supports the Clinton administration's push
for the eastward expansion of NATO to include former
Warsaw Pact members Poland, Hungary, and the Czech
See ALBRIGHT, Page 7A
MARGARET MYERS/
Bonn Howard and Jonathan Itchon gather on the Diag Friday for a kiss - in honor of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender pride and St.
Valentine's Day.i
DagKiss-In ce lbrates
relationsh ips, acNwceptance
By Susan t. Port
Daily Staff Reporter
When Robert Welcher embraced and kissed
his partner Friday on the Diag, he demonstrat-
ed more than affection.
He took a step toward displaying his rela-
tionship to others.
The Queer Unity Project celebrated St.
Valentine's Day by sponsoring the Kiss-In
event at noon Friday on the Diag.
Welcher, a Rackham second-year graduate
student, said he participated in the event with
mixed feelings.
"In a way it's liberating but it's still in a way
scary," Welcher said. "I am not generally shy
about showing affection in the public, but even
in a town like Ann Arbor you still get these
looks.
"If it was a straight couple kissing in the
middle of the Diag, no one would take notice."
Welcher's boyfriend, Engineering senior
Dreste Prada, said affection between homosex-
uals should be shown on more than one day.
"I think it's a great event, but it's too bad it's
only once a year," Prada said. "It's one holiday
that celebrates all these queer folks out here
showing affection."
Approximately 100 students, faculty and
other members of the University community
gathered together to listen to speeches and
poetry relating the experiences of gay, lesbian
and bisexual community members.
LSA first-year student Greta Gerwick said
she thought the Kiss-In was a good idea.
"I think that gays should be as comfortable
See KISS-IN, Page 7A
'U' joins national festivities to
honor engineers this week
JEANNIE SERVAAS/Daily
The Black Greek Association sponsored the annual Step Show on Friday, when black fraternity and sorority members
performed unique dancing routines that combined rhythmic stomping, spoken words and singing.
Black Greek Association
-steps to history month
By David Rossman
Daily Staff Reporter
National Engineers Week has existed
since 1951, but it is new to the
University this year.
Despite the snow, nearly 50
Engineering students gathered for
brunch yesterday at Pierpont Commons
to help kick off the week's festivities.
"We're celebrating the engineering
profession," said Engineering senior
Ankur Agarwal, fundraiser for National
Engineering Week. "We want to get peo-
ple more excited about engineering."
Coordinators said the week - spon-
sored by Motorola and the National
Society of Black Engineers - is a
chance for students
to reflect on
accomplishments
and envision the
future.
Taryn Rosema,
director of
N a t i o n a l
Engineers Week
events at the
~'~' ~University, said
~ she hopes this.
year's festivities
will set the stage for celebrations in
future years.
"It should be a blast'Rosema said.
"People are excited, and the events are
open to all students"
Tony Glinke, president of Ann Arbor
Plastics - a firm supplying plastic
products to local companies such as the
Borders Group and Domino's Pizza -
spoke to a small crowd yesterday.
"To grow, you must change," Glinke
said. "To change, you must have guts,
skills and conviction.'
Much of Glinke's talk aimed to rally
students to take a more involved role in.
their education and job selection.
"You must take complete responsibili-
ty for your life and career" Glinke said.
"Education is a lifelong journey - not a
By Ericka M. Smith
Daily Staff Reporter
African American History Month stepped to a different
beat Friday night as Black Greek Association members
honored their organization and culture at the second-
annual Step Show
Competition.
After four months
of planning and
rehearsals, the
African American
Task Force-spon-
sored event drew
more than 300 peo-
"We started planning in November," Montgomery said.
"(The African American Task Force) served as financial
and advisory support for them, but the BGA really got
together and made the show a success."
At the event, members of fraternities and sororities
dressed in similar outfits and stomped their feet in rhyth-
mic patterns that imitated songs and musical beats.
Performers also chanted their sorority and fraternity
names while stomping.
After performing in the show, LSA senior Naimah
Muhammed, a member of Alpha Gamma Psi sorority,
said the step show was a display of unity and cultural
diversity.
"African American men and women are doing positive
JEANNIE SERVAAS/Daily
Tony Glinke, president of Ann Arbor Plastics, gave career advice to engineering
students yesterday at the Plerpont Commons.
are consumed, unlike art - where
goods are interpreted in a "philosophi-
cal" manner.
"Engineers must produce products
One of the largest events this week is
Outreach to Schools, an opportunity for
Engineering students to visit local sec-
ondary schools and entice young chil-
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