Vehicle chases plague Campus during weekend Ann Arbor Police Department gt. Larry Jerue said AAPD con- ducted three high-speed chases this past weekend. Two of these chases were on or near campus. The first was at I a.m. on Sunday, when an officer saw a man run a red light at the corner of Huron and Division streets. The suspect sped to 50 miles per hour on northbound Division Street and crossed the Broadway Bridge. hortly after, the man stopped his car and fled on foot. AAPD officers apprehended the man and took him to the Washtenaw County Jail. A background check found the suspect to have three outstanding warrants. The second chase began at 4 a.m. Sunday at the corner of Hill and State streets. The suspect is a 14- 'ar-old who took his father's truck. Public telephone catches on fire A man called the Department of Public Safety early Friday morning to report that a public phone, locat- ed near Geddes Road on the south side of Bell Pool, was on fire. The caller reported that he suc- ssfully extinguished the fire, but aid the phone was still smoking and the top of it had melted. DPS officials suspect that the fire was an arson, but no suspects have been apprehended. South Quad resident kicks girl out of room A man called DPS yesterday to request assistance in removing his girlfriend from his South Quad Residence Hall room. Officers who reported to the. scene said the caller wanted his girl- friend to leave the room following an animated verbal dispute about a pair of boots. Officers assisted in escorting the .irl from the room. Youths pilfer brownies from hospital cafe Two small children were caught stealing brownies from University Hospitals on Thursday morning, according to DPS reports. a After the children confessed to tealing the brownies, the officer escorted the children to the cafe and told them to pay for the baked goods. The officer also spoke to the chil- dren's parents, but no further action was taken. Student reports prank theft A male student called DPS on Thursday morning to report that his television, compact disc player and other electronic items were stolen by a friend as a prank from his Mary Markley Residence Hall room. The caller said he left his room with the door unlocked from 8:45 to 9:15 p.m. Before officers could reach the scene. the student called back and *tid the theft was a joke to teach him a lesson. Students slip at Angell Hall A witness called DPS on Thursday to report wet conditions on the stairs near the computing site. The caller stated that several peo- le had already fallen down the steps. One victim, who took an extremely hard fall, was "upset" about the wet conditions on the stairs, the caller said. C- copiled by Daily Staff Reporter Jason Si'ojfer LOCAL/STATE The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, January Faculty app roves diversity statement 271998-3 By William Nash Daily Staff Reporter The University's Senate Assembly, the faculty's governing body, contin- ued its support yesterday for main- taining a diverse campus by passing the third in a series of diversity statements. The vote was overwhelmingly in favor of the statement with 32 in favor, none against, and five abstaining from voting. "This statement lays the basis for future action," said pharmacology Prof. Charles Smith, who was involved in developing the state- ment. The statement is part of what is called a "piece-meal" process. The objective is to have a series of state- ments that represent the faculty's views. T he first resolution was passed by the Senate Assembly on May 20, 1996. It stated that the University "must be open to, and provide a sup- portive background for, all qualified persons without regard to character- istics such as age, color, creed, (and) cultural background." The next resolution on diversity, passed shortly after a lawsuit was filed against the use of race in the admissions processes of the College of Literature, Sciences and the Arts, endorsed a statement given by University President Lee Bollinger stating that a diverse faculty and stu- dent body helps to create a better educational environment. Both statements led to the current one that Smith said "supports diver- sity, but is not a set of recommenda- tions of how the University should maintain it." The request for the statement was made in October by the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs, the faculty's advising com- mittee, but the statement, titled "The Value of Diversity," has been years in the making, Smith said. The only opposition came from Senate Assembly members who felt the statement needed to be stronger in its support of diversity. The actual statement makes no refer- ence to affirmative action and says instead, "the richdiversity of contcrnpo- rary is a resource that needs to be tapped." One supporter of a stronger state- ment is Engineering and history Prof. Nicholas Steneck, who was one of the five people who abstained. "I just don't favor the piece-meal process," Steneck said. "It needed to be said stronger and include obligations for the University, not just statements." But most members supported the statement in hopes that another will follow. The next diversity statement is expected to include recommenda- tions on how to maintain a diverse campus, which Steneck wanted it Environmi incorporated into an all-inclusive statement. The Senate Assembly is unsure of how to publicize the statement, but it suggested publishing it in the University Record, the newspaper of the University's News and Information Services. "Part of the importance of the state- ment is to force us to continue to draw attention to the issues,"said physiology Prof. Louis D'Alecy, chair of Senate Assembly. Supporters of the resolution said they hope to have a final recommendation in the near future. "We hope to give a specific recom- mendation in the next academic year which ends May 1," Smith said. nlb I Service students Irecton By Amelia Levin For the Daily Amidst the onrush of papers, exams and post-undergraduate decisions, the Student Counseling Services office has become a haven for many stressed students. But in recent years, with frequent room changes, the "haven" of Angell Hal; has become overlooked. "We just don't get as many students as we would like; we're lacking in publicity," said LSA junior Maria Jancevski, a SCS coordinator. Located in the depths of Angell Hall, the fpr-students, run-by-students organization is coordinated by Jancevski, LSA juniors Erika Major and Amit Vaidya, and LSA sopho- more Jene Yu. Within the office, shelves of gradu- ate school brochures including those for medical and business schools, as well as new LSA course listings, line the walls. Often students are hesitant to come through SCS's doors because of its ambiguous name. "Many people get confused when they here the word 'counseling' in Student Counseling Services, and think that they will be getting therapy when they come in here,"Vaidya said. "We are trying to find a better name that will change the psychological, administrative-like sounding name to something more catchy." In actuality, the service is "a true resource," Major said. In contrast to the vagueness of online evaluations, the office offers a black Rolodex con- taining numbers of personalized and detailed course and teacher evalua- tions. But the most attractive feature of the office is the endless variety of old exams, covering all LSA departments and some Business and Engineering courses. The bulk of the exams come creates commission By Peter Romer-Friedman Daily Staff Reporter In a unanimous vote, the state House passed state Rep. Liz Brater's bill last week to establish a comprehensive environmental report program that environmentalists are commending across the state. Brater's bill creates a commission to produce one single report to account for the millions of dollars appropriated each year for environ- mental issues. This report will help legislators make more informed deci- sions for the future, said Brater (D- Ann Arbor), who considers the bill "fiscally conservative." "The problem we have now is that we're collecting a lot of data but not reporting it in a clear and accessible way," Brater said. "It's especially important that we have this record of what happened in the past since we're spending over $600 million on the envi- ronment." The bill, which the state senate will debate in the coming weeks, calls for a collection of indicators for toxic releases, air quality, sur- face water quality, drinking water, solid waste, hazardous waste and other areas yet to be determined. State Rep. Jessie Dalman (R- Holland) said the bill received bipartisan support because it meets general environmental interests. "I normally don't like to add work for the bureaucracy, but we need a compre- hensive report for manufacturers and citizens interests," Dalman said. "If you're going to use it as a tool, it needs to be comprehensive:' SNRE senior Mona Hanna, who is. currently organizing the University's Environmental Theme Semester, said Brater's bill marks a stride for the environmental movement. "The access to such information provides people, including students, the tools needed to effectively orga- nize around certain environmental issues," Hanna said. "Overall, I think this is a positive move which will not only benefit Michigan citi- zens, but will also strengthen envi- ronmental organizing." State Rep. Mary Schroer (D-Ann Arbor), said that although recent laws have harmed Michigan's environinent, the bill would get the state back on track. "In my district, the environment has always been an important issue' Schroer said. "We appreciate it a lot. We've done a lot of damage to the envi- ronment through the audit bill that says that if you're a business you can fix pol- lution on your own. We've lowered our standards on pollution and clean-up. "This bill will shed some light on where we are." Brater said 37 other states have start- ed similar projects, and the federal gov- ernment will produce its own environ- mental report. "It's important for the state of Michigan to have its own program so that we can be active in setting up the federal program," Brater said. EMILY NATHAN/Daily LSA junior Erica Major works at the Student Counseling Center in Angell Hall, where she helps LSA sophomore Joanna Ko look for a new English class. from introductory classes. so the ser- vice is most beneficial for first-and- second-year students. "The problem is, by the time these students become aware of SCS, they are juniors and seniors and are not benefit- ting from our services," Major said. Moreover, the number of incom- ing tests is declining and the coor- dinators have resorted to bargain- ing in an attempt to replenish their supply. "Seeing that people are hesitant to donate their tests if they are not get- ting something in return, we've creat- ed a voucher-like system where for every old exam a student drops ofd ,lie or she can get one free of a copying charge;' Jancevski said. Yet what makes SCS such a com- fortable student hangout is its infor- mality, inherent in the hassle-free walk-in policy it offers, Major said. Vaidya describes the office as a cof- fee shop, complete with a coffee maker and a black leather couch where "students can sit back and relax, and even do their homework." In addition, the coordinators' wide range of majors, from biochemistry to English, coupled with their extensive experience in academic and peer counseling, makes the SCS a great place for students to direct any ques- tions, Jancevski said. LSA junior Christina Branson said SCS helps connect students with the University. "The coordinators can answer ques- tions about different aspects of majors and courses having picked up on information from the academic advis- ers" Branson said. "Though I'm a junior and a lot of these questions have already been answered for me, I've seen the coordinators work with freshmen, and I realize that the coun- seling is a true resource for advice as to what classes to take, what teachers to look for, and so on." Prosecution for Green DETROIT (AP)-In a setback for prosecutors, a judge ruled yesterday that jurors in the retrial of a former police officer in a motorist's beating death won't be allowed to convict him for failing to defend the victim. A jury pool of 200 is planned for the new murder trial of Walter Budzyn in the 1992 death of Malice Green, who was repeatedly blud- geoned with police flashlights. The trial is set to begin Feb. 10. Budzyn spent four years in a federal prison in Texas before the Michigan Supreme Court last July overturned his second-degree murder conviction on grounds of jury bias. His partner, Larry Nevers, was freed after a federal judge overturned his con- viction Dec. 30 on the same grounds. His retrial has not been scheduled. Yesterday, Wayne County Circuit Judge Thomas Jackson rejected the prosecution's request that jurors also have a choice of convicting Budzyn of a lesser offense of failing to pro- tect Green from other officers. Prosecutors argued that jurors might not be convinced Budzyn struck the fatal blows but still might hold him guilty of involuntary manslaughter for failing to protect the man he arrested. Jackson said he found no basis for finding Budzyn guilty of involun- tary manslaughter on that basis. Assistant Prosecutor Douglas Baker then asked Jackson to delay the trial while he appeals the decision. The judge refused. Baker said he would seek a stay from the Michigan Court of Appeals. The prosecution faces a tougher job this time because Budzyn is being tried separately from his partner, and wit- nesses linked Nevers more directly to the beating, said Peter Henning, an assistant professor at Wayne State University Law School. setback Asking for the lesser offense instruction could be a sign that pros- ecutors are "more realistic about what their evidence shows," Henning said. Jackson still could instruct the jurors to involuntary manslaughter on the basis that Budzyn was "grossly negligent." Manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Second-degree murder carries a possible life sentence. In the 1993 trial, witnesses testified Budzyn and Nevers beat Green with flashlights when he refused to open his hand after they stopped him outside a suspected drug house. Inn QJ2LIJT!IKL.= AR What's happening- in Ann Arbor todAy GROUP MEETINGS 0911, Michigan Union, Michigan SERVICES Room, 8 p.m. f' imnitc W3gq inum+lr I'jntgav_7(;'1- 7TRUMMEL