2- The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, September 30, 1997

NATION/WORLD

Israelis and
Palestinians
resume peace
negotiations
NEW YORK (AP) - Israel and the Palestinian
Authority agreed yesterday to resume negotiations,
ending a six-month stalemate and breaking what
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright called "a down-
ward spiral" in the Mideast.
Albright, who announced the agreement after meet-
ing with both sides in New York, called the agreement
"a medium step" toward peace in the region. The
months since the last talks were broken off have been
marked by violence and recrimination.
A Palestinian demand for a statement disapproving
further Israeli settlement construction on the West
Bank was put off until the talks are resumed Oct. 6 in
the region.
"We all understand the need to create the right kind
of environment," Albright said at a news conference.
American mediator Dennis Ross will assist in the
talks, which will be shifted to Washington on Oct. 13.
Albright said the negotiations would focus on
implementing the 1993 and 1995 Oslo agreements
between Israel and 'Yasser Arafat's Palestinian
Authority. These call for a series of military pullbacks
by Israel on the West Bank while permitting Jewish
settlers to remain.
There was no indication Albright had made head-
way in her effort to accelerate the negotiations so that
such rock-bottom issues as Palestinian demands for a
state and for part of Jerusalem be taken up right away.
The talks broke down in March over Israel's
attempts to expand Jerusalem's Jewish character and
attacks on Israel by militant Islamic groups.
Albright said, "We all agree there is no place for ter-
roism and violence in the process"
She called her joint meeting with Israeli Foreign

SAROUND THE NATION
U.S. median income rose in1996
WASHINGTON - Income for the typical American household rose in 1996 for
the second consecutive year, the Census Bureau reported yesterday, signaling that
the nation's five-year economic expansion is spreading its benefits more widely
across the population.
While some pockets of society did not enjoy significant gains - more people
lacked health insurance and the number considered "very poor" increased - o
all the trend was positive, with median household income rising 1.2 percent to
$35,492 after being adjusted for inflation.
Women were among the winners: The earnings gap between men and women
was the narrowest on record, the result of an increase for women and a small
decrease for men. Last year, women working full time and year-round earned 74
cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts.
Economists, government officials and labor leaders generally hailed the
improvement as evidence that the current economic expansion, now in its sixth
year, is raising living standards for Americans in a variety of occupations, geo-
graphic regions, ethnic groups and income categories. Until last year, ordinary
families had seen little evidence of the growing economy in their housch
incomes.


AP PHOTO
U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright looks on as Israeli foreign minister David Levy (left) shakes hands
with Palestinian Authority negotiatior Mahmoud Abbass (right) before their meeting In New York.

Minister David Levy and with Mahmoud Abbas of the
Palestine Liberation Organization productive, and
declared: "I believe we are headed in the right direction."
"We have arrested the downward spiral and been
able to take a medium step," she said.
The Clinton administration has publicly urged
Israel not to take steps considered provocative by the
Palestinians. The U.S. position is that expanding set-
tlements undercuts chances for successful peace
talks.
Levy, meanwhile, made plain in a speech to the U.N.
General Assembly that his government remained con-

DRINKING
Continued from Page 1.
shouldn't come as a surprise, as peer
pressure goes hand-in-hand with the
party scene.
t"When you go to a frat party, and
everyone is trashed, of course you feel
leff out, but you knew that going into
the situation, she said.
However, some students maintain
that the decision to drink is always an
n4ependent one.
-"'Tve never felt pressured to drink,"
$ajd LSA junior Rick Bonfiglio.
"Qrinking can be a personal choice."
Mlarcia Benz, the University's alco-
1A6 education coordinator, said there
iy be some clinical evidence that peer
pressure directly conflicts with staying
si'ber at parties.
Benz conducted an experiment where
peer educators went to parties and
abstained from alcohol or other drugs.

"People were trying over and over to
give them drinks," Benz said. "They
had to come up with reasons to get peo-
ple off their backs, such as I'm dri-
ving', or I've got a test tomorrow,' or
'I'm on medication and I can" drink."'
New-found freedom often experienced
by first-year students could be another
reason for underage drinking on campus.
"They're finally free from their par-
ents, and they can do it," said LSA first-
year student Tova Bender.
LSA sophomore Justin Waters said
that this independence sometimes
makes residence halls hot spots for
under-21 drinking.
"They can go back to their own
place, and not have to worry about
facing their parents, drunk," Waters
said.
Some students argue that the drink-
ing age doesn't make any sense.
"The idea that a 21-year-old can
drink more responsibly than a 20-year-

" 04
A

old is stupid," LSA first-y
Matthew Armfield said.
some 1 8-year-olds who can
responsibility, and there arc
and 30-year-olds who can't.'
Other students said unte
ing is so common that the a
drinking doesn't matter at al
"Everyone is wasted at
doesn't seem like there's
age," said one first-years
doesn't even cross my mi
need to be 21 to drink here.
Drinking at parties is justt
nent of underage drinking.Stu
21 who wish to drink at hom
to area stores to get their fix.
Although it's illegal for
purchase alcohol, many stud
is far from difficult.
"If you're underage, and
get alcohol, then you're not
hard," Hoard said.
Benz agrees. "I think it's
easy to get it anywhere.
need is an older friend to
them," she said. "Anyone
stuff can get it. People
resourceful."
However, party stores in
said they are careful not to
to minors.
Blue Front, in particular,
for its "Wall of Shame," whe
confiscated fake IDs are d
deter minors from trying t
hol.
"We sell enough alcohol
drinkers that we don't nee
underage drinkers to make a
said Valerie Szopko, an e
Blue Front.
There are serious fines foi
ers or employees who are ca
alcohol to minors - includ
of a liquor license, which ca
affect a party store's income

Congregation
Seed of Abraham Zera Avraham
A MessianicJewish Congregation
Services
Sabbath - Saturdays at 10 am
Rosh Hashanna-Wed.10/1,7:30m
Thurs. 10/2,10 am
Yom Kippur- Fri. 10/10, 7:30 pm
Sat.10/1 1,10 am
Meeting at University Reformed Church
1001 F. Huron St.. Ann Arbor

cerned about terrorism and would measure what it did in
dealing with Arafat by the security impact on Israel.
"The citizens of Israel have taken upon themselves
great risks for peace" Levy said. "But there is none
among them who is willing to continue to pay the
bloody price that is being demanded in the name of
peace."
The first order of business for Israel and the
Palestinians is an overdue Israeli pullback on the West
Bank. Under the Oslo accords, Israel decides how far
back to pull its troops and turn administrative control
over to Arafat's Palestinian Authority.
ear student "The cops watch all the stores around
"There are here, and the fines are high enough to
handle the scare me' Szopko said.
e some 25- However, even students who are over
"t 21 and legally buy alcohol from party
'rage drink- stores often contribute to the prevalence
ge of those of underage drinking.
1. "People over the age of 21 will buy it
parties, it and bring it to parties, and furnish it for
a drinking minors," easily bypassing the law, said
student. "It Officer Alicia Green of the Ann Arbor
nd that we Police Deparment.
" Green said the AAPD not only does its
one compo- best to prevent minors from purchasing
idents under alcohol, but also from drinking it. On
ie may head any Friday or Saturday night, police cars
can be seen slowly cruising the streets of
minors to Ann Arbor, looking for offenders.
dents said it "We try to write a ticket for every
violation that we see," Green said.
I you can't "(But) just by the sheer numbers, it's
trying very impossible for us to catch every-
body."
incredibly Although not every minor who
All people drinks is caught, the ones who are can
buy it for face very serious repercussions.
who wants "The court is really cracking down
are pretty on it," Green said.
A first-time drinking violation is
Ann Arbor recorded as a misdemeanor on the
sell alcohol offender's permanent criminal record. A
second-time offense can lead to a heavy
,is famous fine and a 90- to 180-day driver's
re scores of license suspension.
lisplayed to Underage drinking also can cause
o buy alco- many other serious problems, outside of
legal issues.
to overage "People end up with all sorts of unex-
d to sell to pected consequences, from hangovers
ny money," to alcohol poisoning," Benz said.
mployee at Most problems occur when students
stop drinking socially and start binge
r store own- drinking.
ught selling "Drinking itself is not an awful
ing the loss thing," Benz said. "The biggest prob-
an seriously lem people have is when they start
binge drinking. If people are choosing
to drink, they should drink moderately."
Binge drinking is defined as four
or more drinks per woman, and five
or more drinks per man, per occa-
sion.
Some of the problems associated
with binge drinking include "getting
into fights, not doing well in school,
(and) disturbing roommates," Benz
said. "We have a lot of other prob-
lems on campus like vandaism,
throwing up on buses and regretted
sex"
A large number of sexual violence
cases also are related to substance
abuse," Benz said.
Experts and students alike point to a
lack of education as a major cause of
campus underage drinking.
"We try to give (students) enough
d you information so they can make a healthy
decision,; Benz said. "We try to give
out reasonable guidelines that may
reduce the risk.
REE LSA first-year student Nate Walker
it agrees, stressing the importance of
alcohol education.
lb! "We need to teach kids how to drink
responsibly," he said. "Until you're old
and mature enough, it's really easy to get
sucked into it - to go out and drink to
get drunk."
Benz added that the number of stu-
dents who have drinking-related prob-

Fed deals with
puzzling economy
WASHINGTON - When top
Federal Reserve officials met in a poli-
cymaking session last month, those
who had been pushing for higher inter-
est rates to keep inflation in check
threw in the towel. Their argument for
action had become the victim of too
much good news on prices.
Since then, more evidence has accu-
mulated that inflation has dropped to
its lowest level in more than three
decades. As a result, when Fed policy-
makers meet today, they are widely
expected to leave short-term interest
rates unchanged - even though the
economy is growing much faster and
joblessness is much lower than they
predicted earlier this year.
But more is involved than a forecast
gone somewhat awry. The behavior of
inflation this year has been so at odds
with past experience that it has forced
many at the Fed to reexamine some of
their thinking about how the economy
works.
> AROUND THI
France will stand
beIind Iran deal
PARIS - The French government
warned yesterday that it will stand
behind a newly announced $2 billion
deal between Iran and an interna-
tional group led by a French oil
company, despite controversial U.S.
legislation prohibiting such invest-
ments.
The agreement, to explore and
exploit the worlds largest natural-gas
field in the waters of the Persian
Gulf, was said to be one of the most
significant petroleum contracts
between Iran and commercial oil
companies since the fall of the shah
in 1979.
It seemed likely.to heighten tensions
between the United States and France,
whose often volatile relations have
been quiescent lately.
And it threatened to confuse negoti-
ations seeking a compromise to the
U.S. legislation and to parallel
American laws intended to curb invest-
ment in Libya and Cuba. The deadline
for completion of those negotiations is
Oct. 15.

Fed policymakers and most econo-
mists believed until recently that th6
economy could not grow on a sustaited
basis at a rate faster than 2 percent to
2.5 percent per year without straining
the nations production capacity and
causing inflation to accelerate. Now,
many are asking whether the econc
can grow faster without spurring in
tion.
Court to hear case
over Ellis Island
WASHINGTON - In the first orde
of its 1997-98 term, the Supreme Court
announced yesterday it would hear 10
new cases, among them the long-smol-
dering dispute between New York 4
New Jersey over control of Ellis lsland;
the historic entry point for millions of
immigrants that has much commercial
potential.
The justices also agreed to decide
whether a white defendant may chalb
lenge an indictment from a grand jury
on which blacks were excluded from
serving as foremen.
EWORLD-
Total, the French oil-and-gas compel
ny, announced Sunday it has signed a
contract with the National Iranian Oil
Co. to develop the giant South Pars gas
field.
Adding to the political significa9
of the deal are Total's two partners:
Gazprom, the Russian petroleum com-
pany, and Petronas, the Malaysian sfd
oil firm.
Commission shows-
success, failures
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -
After today, the big question in Sotth
Africa won't be who wants forgive4
for atrocities committed during 'the
struggle over apartheid, but who gets it.'
From army generals to ragged guer-
rillas, more than -7,000 South Africans
have petitioned the Truth arid
Reconciliation Commission for amnesty
since its creation two years ago.
Their testimony on killings, torture
and other atrocities has shed light on
some of the horrors wrought by mn.
than three decades of white mmo
rule. W


- Compiled from wire reports.

"Beleving that
Yeshua (Jesus)
is The
Promised Messiah"

IV1G. fu VI.,p If V
Dr. Mark Kinzer, Congregational Leader
For more /nformat/on contact:
Congregation Zera Avraham
PO Box 2025, Ann Arbor, MI 48106 313-663-3573

Owego"

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