LOCAL/STATE The Michigan Daily - Friday, March 21, 1997 - 3 Church Street resident stalked A woman living on the 600 block < Church Street reported she was being stalked early this week, accord- ing to the Ann Arbor Police Department. The woman told officers her for- mer boyfriend had been sitting in front of her home and ringing the doorbell. The suspect had threatened her friends, the woman reported. The suspect is described as a white male in his 30s. AAPD is currently investi- sng the incident. Items stolen from Michigan Ave. apartment Assorted items were stolen from an apartment complex on the 1100 block of Michigan Avenue on Monday t, AAPD reports state. e robber gained entry through a window that was smashed with a brick. A camera, a laptop computer, an answering machine and a briefcase totaling more than $4,000 were stolen. AAPD is investigating two possible suspects. Victim robbed in oad daylight on ymouth Road A victim who, was sitting on the curb of the 1500 block of Pymouth Road was robbed last Monday in broad daylight while waiting for a ride, AAPD reports state. The suspect approached the vic- tim and asked for directions. When t victim came towards the car, the sp ect pulled what the victim believed to be a gun and demanded money. The victim gave the money toa the suspect and escaped unharmed. The suspect was last spotted in a brown, Cutlass-like car. AAPD is cur- rently investigating the incident. Woman sexually rassed at CRB A woman was sexually harassed Monday night while working out at the Central Campus Recreation HBuilding, according to Department of Public Safety reports. The suspect, who is in his late 20s, allegedly made several sexist com- ts to her and was persistently ting at her. The suspect then proceeded to grab her buttocks ,While the victim was getting a drink of water, according to DPS reports. DPS is currently investigating the subject. Items stolen from parked car on 'eea tate street everal items were reported stolen from a woman's parked car on South State Street on Tuesday night, a DPS report states. The caller's front passenger win- dow was allegedly smashed in, DPS reports state. Two jackets, three hats and several food products worth more than $300 were allegedly taken. DPS picked up * suspects and have released then? pending investigation. -Compiled by Daily Staff Reporte? Ajit K. Thavarajah. ' study says SAT biased against women By Chris Metinko Daily Staff Reporter A poll released last week by the Center for Women Policy Studies claims that the Scholastic Assessment Test is biased against women, depriving worthy female students of scholarship money. "The College Board has known of the bias and refused to take action on the SAT," said Karen Schneider, communications director for the center. The survey, which polled 1,000 parents nation- wide, asked parents if they have a favorable opinion of the SAT. Sixty-nine percent of parents said they had a favorable opinion when first questioned. However, when the parents were told of the per- ceived bias, 68 percent said that they were upset. The center claimed the results of its poll prove that this assumed bias cheats many girls out of National Merit Scholarship money, pointing to the fact that only about 40 percent of those scholarships go to female students "Men still take more rigorous math and science The College Board denied the charges of bias courses," Penn said. against girls. However, Seppy Basili, director of pre-college "The study asked parents programs for Kaplan to assume a bias" said Educational Centers, said Jeffrey Penn, spokesperson The sthat based on academic per- for the College Board. Penn s Tformances in high school, said this assumption made asked Parents to girls hold an edge. the poll's scientific validity "We know girls have high- questionable. He said the assum e a bias. er grades in high school" College Board takes steps Basili said, to protect against bias. - Jeffrey Penn Nevertheless, the center For example, professors College Board spokesperson requested that the test be of different races and gen- changed to eliminate the ders review the test and bias, Schneider said. Abigail Stewart, professor of psychology and women's studies at the University. said there is a possible bias because the SAT is supposed to predict how well a student will do in the first year of col- lege. "The reason this is important is that that is what SAT is supposed to do,' Stewart said. "If it is incor- rect it is bias." Stewart also said it is not shocking for a test to have a bias but that ETS should do something to eliminate the bias. Some students agreed that the SAT does not truly reflect how students will fare at school." "I think that if you only look at a student's SAT score, it is not an accurate indication of how a stu- dent will do," said LSA first-year student Becca Millroad. "You have to take other things into consider4- tion." every question is pre-tested, he said. Board officials said the disparity in scores is due mostly to preparation by individual students and groups of students. "They want the College Board and (the Educational Testing Service) to find a better balance between the questions that are asked," Schneider said. Arafat plans to visit nearby Dearborn in July JOSH BIGGS/Daily Eric Lonran leans over to examine rows of cereal dispensers at The People's Food Co-op, which closes today. Food co-op folds after 25 years By Jeffrey Kosseff Daily Staff Reporter Some experts see Yasser Arafat's decision to speak in Dearborn this summer as one step closer to peace in the Middle East. "I hope that when people keep talking to each other, they'll understand each other's point of view" said Pharmacy Prof. Nabil Khalidi, president of the campus mosque. Arafat, the leader of the Palestinian lh$p4 Liberation Organization and when peg a leading player in the Middle talki t East peace process, is sched- t uled to speak at a understa conference spon- sored by the ther's p A me r i c a n Federation of views R a m a 1 a h,. Palestine. The conference will Univ take place July 2- 6 at the Hyatt- Regency hotel in Dearborn. Dearborn Mayor Michael Guido said Dearborn is proud to have hosted every U.S. president since Richard Nixon. "We get a lot of different people," Guido said. "We really roll out the red carpet." Guido said another reason leaders visit Dearborn is the city's "class-A hotel with over 800 rooms." Political science Prof. Zach Levey said Arafat is making an effort to get to know Palestinians worldwide. "He's reaching out to Palestinians abroad," Levey said. "It enhances his image as a leader." 'I k10 W' is Ier Arafat spoke in Washington, D.C. earlier this month. "His relations with the United States have been warmer in the past few months," Levey said. But Levey said the visit does not mean Arabs are closer to peace with Israel. a "It has nothing to do with Arab- Israeli relations," Levey said. While Arabs make up 16 percent of Dearborn's population, Guido said 'the th t number of Pal es t in ia n~s pile keep wso plO OOPwas not a major each factor in Arafat's deci- sion to speak. "Palestinian id each numbers in Dearborn are Dint of quite low?' Guido said. Guido said the local polige - Nabil Khalidi will be busy 'rsity professor directing traf- fic, but they will not have the responsibility of protecting Arafat "The Secret Service and his own staff would handle the security issues," Guido said. The University's Dearborn campus is not currently planning to be involved with the conference. "Things happen here without us. being involved," said Terry Gallagher, director of public affairs for the University's Dearborn cam- pus. The conference focuses on strengthening Palestinian relatibns nationwide. About 5,000 members of AFRP are expected to attend. By Sam England Daily Staff Reporter Employees, volunteers and cus- tomers will gather today at the People's Food Co-op on Packard Road to cele- brate the store's last day of business. After providing the mostly student- populated neighborhood with natural foods for more than 25 years, the store will end its last business day at 6 p.m. The store will reopen its doors an hour later for a memorial party. "The Packard store was our first store," said People's Food Co-op General Manager Carol Collins. "We didn't want to close the store, really, until we gave it our best try." The "best try," Collins said, was to keep the store open even when it suf- fered from dwindling business. Since 1992, the Packard co-op has reported financial losses, sometimes exceeding its budgeted loss of S28,000. "It was really a cluster of problems," Collins said, describing a shortage of community involvement and the open- ing of Whole Foods Market on Stadium Boulevard. Whole Foods Market - part of a chain of stores - opened in 1993, near the beginning of the Packard co-op's decline, Collins said. Collins said a shortage of local support also helped end such Ann Arbor fixtures as Schlenker's Hardware and Wildflour Whole Grain Bakery, which baked its last batch of goods this week. The co-op, which will continue to run its larger Fourth Avenue store, maintains a policy of carrying natural, largely vegetarian groceries. It offers both commercial and organic foods, and its shelves are often filled with locally grown produce. On the counter behind co-worker Jack Laurent sat an album filled with various photographs depicting the store throughout its years of business. Next to the album was a journal and a handwritten note asking customers to write down stories about the co-op. "It's a hard thing, to lose a neighbor- hood location, because there's a lot of neighborhood people who want to shop here," Laurent said. "Unfortunately, not enough to support us financially." Kate Van Dis, an LSA sophomore and co-op worker, said she will miss the store's welcoming atmosphere. "It's definitely a central meeting place? she said, reaching for a stick of organic butter. Van Dis recalled evenings when she cooked at a friend's nearby house, walking to the co-op whenever she needed ingredients. "It's like our pantry." I Hepatitis source probed I .i SAGINAW - Health officials in two Michigan counties yesterday still were trying to determine the source of a recent outbreak of hepatitis A that struck at least five dozen students and educators. Exact numbers of confirmed cases in Calhoun County yesterday could not be confirmed. On Wednesday, officials said there were 61 confirmed cases. In Saginaw County, six confirmed cases were reported yesterday, said Sharon Beauregard, program supervisor for the Saginaw County Health Department. Dr. William Hall of the state Department of Community Health said the two outbreaks do not appear to be related. "It's common to have clusters the size of the Saginaw situation," Hall said. "It's distinctly unusual to have as many cases as we have seen (in Calhoun County) and that implies that there's some sort of ... situation where a food has been contam- inated in the food service area." Hall said there are between 500 and 1,000 cases of hepatitis A reported each year. Corrections: 0 Julie Herrada was misidentified in yesterday's Daily. The freethinker exhibit at the Harlati Hatcher Graduate Library is not being held in response to the department's Bible exhibit. This was incorrectly reported'in yesterday's Daily. * The Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs elected three new members Monday. This was incorrectly ported in Wednesday's Daily. What's hc FRIDAY Q "APA Graduate Student informational Session for Undergraduates," spon- sored by The United Asian American Organization, Michigan League, Koessler Room, 6-8 p.m. Q "Conversations with Courtney Clixby," sponsored by Unions Network Television, channel 24, 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Q "Darkness into Ught: The Re-emer- appening in Ann Arbor this weekend Arts and Programs, Pierpont Commons, Gallery Wall SATURDAY J "Darkness into Ught: The Re-emer- gence of Jewish Culture in Germany," sponsored by Hillel, , Michigan Union, Art Lounge J "Pre-Med Symposium," sponsored by CP&P Michigan League, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. SUNDAY J "Cheerleading Tryouts," sponsored by The Cheer Team, Intramural Building, Gymnastics Room, 3-5 p.m. U "Darkness Into Ught: The Re-emer- g ence of Jewish Culture in Germany," sponsored by Hillel, Michigan Union, Art Lounge J "Ecological Wisdom, Grassroots Democracy, Social Justice I I i