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LOCAL/STATE

The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, January 21, 1998 - 3

Penn State prof.
uses marijuana
to prove a point
Pennsylvania State University
Chemistry Prof. Julian Heicklen smoked
marijuana in an attempt to stand up for
his freedom Monday, the Daily
S,Collegian reported.
Heicklen said he did not want to pay
taxes for people who smoked marijuana
and were arrested.
University police officers said they
did not arrest Heicklen due to lack of evi-
dence and because they felt the professor
was making a political statement. Police
- felt that arresting the professor would not
be in the community's best interest.
Heicklen said that although he does
not condone marijuana use, he does not
approve of government regulation of the
drug as long as marijuana users do not
infringe on others' rights. "I believe that
:,,it is immoral to arrest anyone for owning
a vegetable" he said. Heicklen said it
was the first time he had smoked mari-
juana.
Former employee
sues fraternity
A former employee of Phi Delta
kappa is suing the fraternity on charges
that it fired him after he complained that
his supervisor was sexually harassing
him, the Indiana Daily Student reported.
In December, Thomas Pleasant filed
charges against Phi Delta Kappa and Bill
Hyman, his former supervisor, for
. "same-sex sexual harassment, retaliation
and wrongful discharge." Pleasant
claimed that since May, Hyman had
made advances toward him, which
included grabbing Pleasant's buttocks
and making sexual comments.
Phi Delta Kappa representatives
denied any wrong-doing and said they
do not believe there is any truth in the
charges. The fraternity's lawyer said the
lawsuit could take as long as two years to
reach the court system.
TCU basketball
star pleads no
contest to assault
Lee Nailon, a junior center for the
" Texas Christian University basketball
team, pleaded no contest last week to a
misdemeanor charge of assault, the
paily Skiff reported.
Nailon allegedly beat his girlfriend
during winter break. He currently faces
one year of probation and must attend an
anger-control counseling program. He
was not fined.
Police reports show that the girlfriend
had moved into Nailon's residence hall
room and the two were living together at
the time of the incident, which occurred
on Jan. 6. The report also states that she
9 said Nailon choked, hit, threw her into a
closet door and threatened to kill her
after she approached him with evidence
showing he had been with other women.
Nailon said the incident was a big
argument that the police took out of
hand.
Former Arizona
Medical School
*employees sue
Five former University of Arizona

° College of Medicine employees are
1alleging they were fired because they
were unable to work after being exposed
o formaldehyde. They are suing the
"Board of Regents.
The Arizona Daily Wildcat reported
that the five former employees are seek-
ing compensatory damages for lost
income and emotional distress.
The exposure to formaldahyde gas
caused the five employees to suffer from
-multiple chemical sensitivity, fatique,
"headaches and abdominal distress.
The employees were fired under the
Medical Removal Act, a law that
,emoves workers exposed to formal-
dahyde or places them on medical leave
while doctors determine a suitable time
for them to return, their attorney said.
The employees said they feel that the
university failed to accommodate them
.fter their formaldahyde reactions pre-
vented them from working.
- Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter
--Christine Paik from the University Wire.

MSA discusses resolution for fee increase

By Kristin Wright
Daily Staff Reporter
The Michigan Student Assembly further dis-
cussed a resolution last night that would increase
the mandatory student fee of all University stu-
dents by $4-5. The assembly delayed voting on the
issue until next week's meeting.
The current fee of $4.96 per student, per semes-
ter is allocated to help fund community service
organizations, the Ann Arbor Tenants Union and
MSA. The Assembly receives $3.69 of the fee.
If the assembly decides to pass the resolution next
Tuesday, the increase will be used to hire companies
that will help MSA lobby for a student representative
on the University's Board of Regents.
If MSA approves the resolution, students will be
asked on MSA election ballots in March to either
support or reject the increase.

LSA junior Andrew Wright, co-chair of the stu-
dent regent task force, said the fee increase is key
to MSA's fight for student representation on the
board.
"The fee is what has to happen for us to get a
student regent," Wright said. "I believe now that
this is what we are going to have to do."
There are two ways that MSA can win their
fight for a student seat on the board. The issue
will be put on the state ballot if there is a two-
thirds vote of support from the Michigan State
Legislature or if the assembly can obtain
400,000 signatures from M ichigan voters in
support of initiating student representation on
the Board of Regents.
The money from the student fee increase would
be used to hire companies that would help collect
signatures. The number of necessary signatures

amounts to about 2 percent of the number of
Michigan residents who vote in the state's guber-
natorial race.
Wright said he is more optimistic about collect-
ing the signatures than about challenging the state
government.
"I think we've deluded ourselves to think that
the Legislature will pass something political. It
does not serve their interest to pass a student
regent," Wright said. "I don't think it's realistic to
go through the Legislature."
If students approve the fee increase, the assem-
bly will then take the proposal to the regents. If the
regents support the increase, MSA will have 180
days to get the necessary signatures.
If the rejents reject the student fee increase,
MSA will be forced to depend on the state
Legislature for final answers.

LSA Rep. Bram Elias, co-chair of the student
regent task force, said the regents have a responsi-
bility to support student representation on the
board.
"It's their job to represent student interest, so I
think it is their job to support the student regent
drive," Elias said.
Students rejected the $5.50 student fee increase
proposed by the assembly on the Winter 1997 elec-
tion ballots.
MSA Vice President Olga Savic said she is con-
fident that.MSA will find greater success this year
in gaining student support.
"This time will be different because we are in a
much better position to actually be able to use the
money to get a student regent," Savic said. "This
year, we'll be able to get the question on the ballot
and we have an excellent chance."


City Council announces
marijuana awareness month

By Peter Meyers
Daily Staff Reporter
Ann Arbor City Council members
passed a bill last night to recognize
February as Marijuana Awareness
Month, but they did not choose to advo-
cate or denounce the drug.
"It's an awareness month,' said
Councilmember Pat Vereen-Dixon (D-
ist Ward). "We are neither supporting
nor condemning."
In 1997, as part of its national drug pre-
vention campaign, the federal Center for
Substance Abuse Prevention chose
February as Marijuana Awareness Month.
"I think the issue is just to start talking
and thinking about it," said Ann Arbor
Mayor Ingrid Sheldon.
The measure was advocated locally by
the non-profit organization Community
Action on Substance Abuse. C'ASA
member Jess Antanaitis said the frequen-
cy of marijuana use in Ann Arbor is
almost twice the national average.
Councilmember Stephen Hartwell (D-
3rd Ward) cast the one dissenting vote.
Hartwell supported the bill's intention

to educate people about marijuana, but
said that this education should not only
be about the dangerous aspects of the
drug, but the positive aspects as well.
"I think we need prescription drugs,"
H artwell said. "It has been proven to have
beneficial uses."
Hartwell said users should be well-
informed about the risks of marijuana.
"I definitely think you need to be edu-
cated in any drug you take,' Hartwell
said.
Antanaitis pointed out that marijuana
is dangerous because it can cause temno-
rary sterility in men and has been linked
to a tendency to get ito car accidents.
Marijuana also is known to cause amoti-
vational syndrome.
Users "lose all motivation to go ahead
with their lives, to accomplish goals,"
Antanaitis said.
The bill originally aimed to educate
children, but it was amended by Hartwell
to advocate that all citizens lead drug-
free lives.
Antanaitis said one of CASA's prima-
ry goals is to educate adults in order to

keep drug use down among children.
"Today's teenagers are being parented
by people who grew up in the '60s and
'70s when marijuana use peaked,"
Antanaitis said. People of this age group
tend to not take a strong stance on the
drug one way or the other, she said. Many
parents do not discuss marijuana with
their children, and others use marijuana
themselves, Antanaitis added.
Vereen-Dixon also related marijuana
use to the issue of free speech.
"In Ann Arbor, it is an issue of folks'
rjghts" vpreen-Dixon said.
For Hash Bash 1997, the City of Ann
Arbor was sanctioned by a federal judge
for not granting Hash Bash organizers a
permit to hold a rally on Maynard Street.
The judge said the city was limiting the
marijuana advocates' right to free speech.
Antanaitis said CASA is planning to
hold some educational events in local
schools next month. CASA is in the
beginning stages of organizing an alter-
native event during Hash Bash this year
that will educate teenagers about the dan-
gers of marijuana.

PAUL TALANIAN/Daily
Vemice Miller, director of the Environmental Justice Institute at the Natural
Resources Defense Council, spoke yesterday about race and environmental justice.
Activst urges student
involveen
enviromentaljustice

VORTEX
Continued from Page 1
medical world.
"This could be a great application for drug delivery," Bilen
said. "One use is in inhalers. This way the doctor could inject
droplets of medication into the affected organ, and the drug
could metabolize directly into the area."
For the project, the University bought from NASA a canis-
ter that will hold VORTEX. The students built everything else
on their own.
Engineering senior John Korsakas was the chief programmer.
"There was a lot of pressure," Korsakas said. "We were sup-
posed to present to NASA in the middle of October and then
they called at the end of September to tell us that we had to pre-
sent now or else we weren't going up."

A lot of work had to be accomplished in a short amount of
time and the group of students pulled four all-nighters to
complete the project, students said.
Amber Thweatt, a recent Engineering graduate, said it was
exciting to be involved in a real shuttle project.
"I started being a part of the project as a freshman,"
Thweatt said. "It's great to see from start to launch under my
undergraduate career here at Michigan."
In order for the space program to allow the experiment on the
shuttle, it cannot draw any energy or resources from the shuttle.
It must be self-sufficient except for the moment before the
astronauts go to sleep when they turn the machine on. Ten
hours later, the experiment will be shut down by the astronauts.
Meanwhile, the six University students will anxiously
await the return of their experiment.
"If it works, I will be happy," Korsakas said. "It will work:'

By Melissa Andrzejak
For the Daily
In honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. and as part of the
University's environmental theme
semester, the school of Natural
Resources and Environment wel-
comed Vernice Miller yesterday.
As the director of environmental
justice at the Natural Resources
Defense Council, Miller, an urban
planner, has taken an active role in
bringing to light issues of social
injustice in society.
"Racism has metamorphosized,"
Miller said, adding that racism has
become more implicit in people's
actions than overt in society.
She explained that the Civil Rights
Movement, lead by King, has given
birth to a new modern movement -
environmental justice. Miller defined
"environment" as "where we work,
live and play." 4
LSA senior Eve Rosenburg said
that "most students aren't aware of
the environmental movement or how
it affects us."
Miller said that environmental jus-
tice must be sought not only in
wildlife communities, but also in
urban environments. People of color
meet environmental injustice in the
gross amount of pollution poured
into their communities.
The disproportionate effect of
environmental problems on people
of color is in part due to underrepre-
sentation of minorities in environ-
mental agencies, land use and zoning
boards.
In reference to her research with

NRDC, Miller said that "race has
been the most statistically determin-
ing factor in the placement of envi-
ronmental contaminators."
Miller said this is "not a random
occurrence, but an intentional prac-
tice - and that's what racism is."
Miller urged listeners to think of
the big picture -- the effects of racism
on a community's environment and on
the quality of life in that environment.
"I don't know how you can separate
the issues ... it would be senseless to
talk compartmental ly:'she said.
Miller said that safe water, food and
clean air are fundamental to justice.
Environmental strains sometimes
make these necessities impossible.
Since she is a first-hand witness
to the pollution, Miller vowed "to
never again allow (environmental
injustice) to happen in the place
where I live."
About 50 students attended last
night's event, and many said they
were impressed with Miller's obvi-
ous enthusiasm about her fight con-
cerning these issues.
Rebecca Lony, a Rackham sec-
ond-year student, said Miller was
"very passionate about the issues
and brought together complexities
in a way people can understand and
relate to."
Miller concluded her speech by
urging students to get involved, say-
ing that "it is the fundamental
essence of life that the planet sur-
vive. People of color are rarely open-
ly denied ... but environmental jus-
tice and equality for all was and is a
dream unrealized:'


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My World, Your World:
Should They Be the Same

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An open discussion and dialogue between students,
faculty, and administrators. We will explore the role
of student government in promoting and maintaining
a diverse campus.
Thursday, January 22 * 8 pm IiA
Pond Room * Michigan Union STUD UT cioVIIIflT

I '1 " I

Cadet Kevin Janicki
Junior, College of
Engineering
2 year scholarship
recipient

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ILIL

CA ILL L L AlL

GROUP MEETINGS
U ENACT, 647-4189, Dana E
Room 1040, 7 p.m.
U Shulchan Writ, 769-0500, Ca

What's happening in Ann Arbor today
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IDS Testing," Community
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alk, 763-WALK, Bursley

ARMY lt S ALUT OUR SCHOLRSHWINNRS.

Every year Army ROTC
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