LOCAL/STATE
The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, March 17, 1998 - 3
CRIME
Student busts
roommate for
marijuana use-
A South Quad Residence Hall resi-
dent called the Department of Public
Safety on Thursday afternoon to report
that his roommate was smoking mari-
juana, DPS reports state. The resident
told police that his roommate keeps his
marijuana in a dictionary on the top
shelf of his desk.
Police reporting to the scene located
the marijuana and took the 20-year-old
student into custody. Reports do not
state whether charges were pressed
against the student.
Juveniles break
into parked cars
An Ann Arbor Police Department
dispatcher advised DPS early Sunday
morning that juveniles were breaking
into vehicles on the second level of the
Church Street parking structure, DPS
reports indicate.
DPS officers at the scene reported
two vehicles had their windows broken
and radios and other items stolen.
There was blood on the outside of one
of the cars. AAPD officers arrived at
the carport with three suspects found in
the area. One of the suspects had bur-
glary tools in his possession, while
another suspect had a cut on his hand.
The suspects were arrested for larce-
ny from a vehicle and were released
pending warrant authorization.
Fight erupts at
Clarion Hotel
A fight broke out Saturday night at a
rap concert at the Ann Arbor Clarion
Hotel, said AAPD Sgt. Larry Jerue.
Before the concert was scheduled to
begin, the crowd became unruly and
sponsors decided to cancel the event.
After the cancellation was
announced, 300-400 crowd members
began to fight. Concert security called
police to receive help breaking up the
skirmish. After 20 officers reported to
the scene, the crowd dispersed.
There were no injuries reported, but
officers arrested four people for disor-
derly conduct. AAPD officials said
they do not know if these individuals
are University students.
Dialysis patient
was drunk,
uncooperative
A University Hospitals employee
called DPS on Saturday afternoon to
request assistance with an uncoopera-
tive patient at the main entrance of the
Taubman Health Care building, DPS
reports state.
The employee said the woman was
coming to the hospital for dialysis
treatment but was intoxicated at the
time of her appointment. Hospital
security officers responding to the call
brought the woman to the University
Hospitals emergency room because
dialysis could not be performed due to
her condition.
Racist graffiti
found in parking
carport
DPS received a call Friday morning
about race-related graffiti in a carport on
East Hospital Drive, DPS reports state.
A staff member said racist messages
were written in the elevator. The officer
reporting to the scene found racial epi-
thets written on the elevator's side
walls. DPS has no suspects in the inci-
dent, but a report was filed.
Boyfriend stops
suicide attempt
A student called DPS on Sunday
morning to report his girlfriend was
attempting suicide, DPS reports state.
He told the 911 operator that the girl-
friend was attempting to drink bleach,
outside of his Vera Baits Residence
Hall room. She did not drink the bleach
but was transported voluntarily to the
University Hospitals Emergency Room
for psychiatric evaluation.
-Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter
Jason Stffer
City council delays vote on parking fees
By Peter Meyers
Daily Staff Reporter
The decision of whether or not to raise the park-
ing meter rates in Ann Arbor has been approached
with extreme caution by the city government. For
the third time in six months, a final decision on the
issue was postponed last night.
City council members first considered raising
the meter rates from 60 cents to $1 per hour in
November. At that time, councilmembers said they
had insufficient information on how the change
would impact downtown residents and businesses,
and voted to delay their decision.
Since then, Ann Arbor residents, businesses, the
Downtown Development Authority, a citizen advi-
sory group and the parking department have been
consulted in the hopes of better understanding the
issue and possibly revising the proposal.
Councilmember Jane Lumm (£R-2nd Ward)
noted that during the past five months, few revi-
sions to the proposals have been made.
"What we have in front of us is not really differ-
ent from what we had in November' Lumm said.
The two linked proposals are to raise street park-
ing meter rates from 60 cents per hour to SI per hour,
and to raise most parking ticket fines from S5 to S 10.
Michael Scott, the city parking manager, said he
was not surprised that the council chose to post-
pone voting on the proposal again.
"I think it's going to be tabled tonight.' Scott
said before the meeting.
Scott said councilmembers met with business
owners earlier this month and he thought coun-
cilmembers would want to take time to consider
their latest suggestions.
"A lot (of their suggestions) had to do with devel-
oping brochures and flyers to encourage people to
park in the structures, developing a grace period
(and) changing the time limit on some of the
meters," Scott said.
Business owners in the area said they are divid-
ed on the issue.
"That's an outrageous thing that they're doing,"
said Kay Marsh, owner of the Main Street News
store. "It's horrible to expect people to come
downtown and pay that much."
Marsh said she expects that if the measure passes,
shoppers will stop frequenting downtown and go to
"the outskirts" in other towns or Briarwood Mall.
Other business owners said they encourage the
increase, primarily because street parking would
be used rarely and only by those x ho nCed it most.
Paul Daniels, owner of Engineering Office, a
downtown business, said he asks his customers to
look for parking spaces in the parking structures.
"I'm sure many of my clients would be happy to
find unlimited, inexpensive space: right in front of
my door," Daniels said. "But I think this is the next
best thing"
The DDA, which operates the parking structures,
the Citizens' Advisory Council and the City Parking
Department all expressed their support for the two
proposals.
David Devarti, a DDA member, said many cities
charge a much higher hourly rate than Ann Arbor
does for its downtown parking. lHe said Lansing
charges S, Grand Rapids charges S 1.25 and
Toledo charges S 1.50 per hour.
'Sesame
Street'
comes to
town
By Sarah Welsh
Daily Staff Reporter
Can you tell me how to get, how to
get to "Sesame Street?"
Hundreds of University students
went to the Michigan Union yesterday
to find out.
Representatives of the popular
children's show visited the Union
Ballroom as part of the "Sesame
Street Unpaved" tour, which cele-
brates the show's 30th anniversary
and gives college students a behind-
the-scenes look at the show's cre-
ation.
"I love the - University of
Michigan - so many things to
count," said The Count, who
appeared alongside his voice, mup-
peteer Jerry Nelson.
"I can count really high - I can
count all the money it costs for your
tuition!" the Count joked.
The panel also included
University alumnus Bob McGrath
who has played "Bob" on the show
since its inception in 1969.
McGrath graduated from the
School of Music in 1954, and he
spoke yesterday about luck,
extracurricular activities and get-
ting his break in television.
When people ask him how he
got to be Bob, McGrath said, "I
tell them, being in front of
Carnegie Hall at the right time."
There, he ran into one of his fra-
Conference to
address diversity on
nation's campuses
Muppeteer Jerry Nelson answered questions with The Count yesterday at a
Sesame Street tour that celebrated its 30th anniversary.
ternity brothers from the
University who was involved in
the planning stages of a new chil-
dren's show with a bright,
unknown talent -- Jim Henson.
McGrath added that his experience
as a soloist with the University's
Men's Glee Club helped the early
stages of his career.
"Take advantage of every possible
situation in school, out of school," he
said.
Art and Design sophomore Luke
Daab took advantage of the event by
bringing a puppet he made, hoping to
show it to Nelson. infortunately, time
ran out, but Daab said he was excited
to have met Nelson.
Sesame Street has been "so much a
part of my life," Daab said.
Many fans of Sesame Street came
just to meet McGrath.
"I had tears in my eyes when I saw
Bob - I grew up with him," said
Jenny Hallgren, LSA senior.
The panel included composer
Chris Cerf, supervising producer
Arlene Sherman, senior writer Luis
Santeiro and Vice President and
Brand Manager Pam Green.
Panelists spoke about the progres-
sive curriculum of the show, includ-
ing an appearance by Ellen
DeGeneres.
"Sesame Street is an inclusive place
where everyone belongs," Sherman
said.
Nelson summed up the show's
educational philosophy by pointing
out that the Muppets are all mon-
sters - portrayed not as scary, "but
something maybe to understand,"
he said. "In life, we often need
monsters."
By Christine M. Paik
Daily Staff Reporter
In light of the national debate sur-
rounding diversity in college cam-
puses, a live national videoconfer-
ence with six panelists, including
Provost Nancy Cantor, will air
tomorrow in the Michigan Union's
Kuenzel Room from 1-3 p.m.
Sponsored by the publication Black
Issues in Higher Education, the two-
hour videoconference is titled,
"Recruitment and Admissions
Dilemmas in Higher Education: What's
Next for Students of Color?" and will
be broadcast on campus via satellite
from Washington, D.C.
The videoconference will address
such topics as recruitment strategies,
California's Proposition 209, Texas'
Hopwood decision and the lawsuit
against the University.
"It's important that we have dia-
logue on these issues," said Lester
Monts, associate provost for acade-
mic and multicultural affairs. "The
videoconference medium allows for
open debate of compelling (issues).
It also allows interaction with the in-
studio audience as well as call-ins
from audiences from throughout the
nation."
Monts said the videoconference will
help emphasize the University's
important role in issues surrounding
diversity.
"In light of the anti-affirmative action
sentiment that is spreading around the
nation and the lawsuits filed against the
admissions policies of our College of
Literature, Science and the Arts and the
Law School, this is a question that gar-
ners a great deal of attention," Monts
said. "I'm sure Provost Cantor will speak
about the educational mission of thc
University of Michigan as a public insti-
tution and its role in educating a cross-
section of the citizenry"
Monts said he hopes the audience
will leave with "a perspective from
Provost Cantor that supports diversi-
ty as a necessary element to achieve
excellence at the University ... ant
at other colleges and universities.
Lisa Baker, associate vice presiden
for University relations, said she
believes Cantor will represent the
University well.
"Provost Cantor is obviously a distin-
guished administrator and faculty mem-
ber," Baker said. "Her perspective is very
valuable and we are very fortunate that
the University has someone with her rep-
utation and scholarly credentials who can
so ably represent us in this venue. I'm
sure it will be very exciting:"
In addition to Provost Cantor,
panelists will include Don Brown,
commissioner of the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board, Bob
Schaeffer, public education director
at the National Center for Fair and
Open Testing, Anthony Carnavale.
vice president of the Educational
Testing Service, Joyce Smith, execu-
tive director of the National
Association for College Admission
Counseling and Bradford Wilson,
executive director at the National
Association of Scholars. The video-
conference will be moderated by
Carol Randolph, Court TV anchor
and practicing attorney.
The videoconference is the second tq
be aired on campus within the past four
months.
ASSEMBLY
Continued from Page 1.
Report college rankings in 1996.
"One example where I've appreciat-
ed MSA input was when they were
working with colleges across the
country to talk about the importance
of U.S. News and World Report rank-
ings," Baker said. "I appreciated hav-
ing a chance to hear what the com-
ments were and to get their feed-
back."
In the '60s, the Student Government
Council, MSA's predecessor, led a
nationwide fight for civil rights and
other issues of international impor-
tance, according to Inteflex Lecturer
Margaret Steneck.
"SGC became radical in the early
'60s," Steneck said, "They got the
University concerned about human
rights issues and women on campus.
They worked to get rid of the highly
paternalistic rule that women on cam-
pus were under."
In the hopes of making student gov-
ernment less radical, the University
replaced SGC with MSA.
"SGC, which had been controlled by
the school of LSA, was replaced by
MSA, with its representation of all the
schools," Steneck said. "It was certain-
ly hoped that it would be less radical
than its predecessor."
Recently, MSA has been vocal- in
both the state Legislature and on
Capitol Hill. Cynthia Wilbanks, associ-
ate vice president for government rela-
tions, has worked with MSA to inform
state legislators on student concerns at
a hearing held on campus earlier this
year.
"We asked MSA to participate and
some students there testified," said
Wilbanks, the University's Lansing
lobbyist. "The students presented
their views very well. The legisla-
tors were impressed with the num-
ber of students and the preparedness
of the students, MSA also comtnuni-
cates well with its local representa-
tives."
MSA has been criticized by stu-
dents and organizations for failing to
make an impact in the past. Alan
Levy, director of Housing Public
Affairs, said the criticism leveled
against MSA is unwarranted. Levy
pointed to recent successful efforts to
extend library hours and increase
voter registration.
"The extension of open library
hours is a classic example of an
effective student government," Levy
said.
"In and of itself, it's not earth-shat-
tering, but for students, it's an impor-
tant issue."
In the end, student government is
necessary because it is the only way
for students to have a voice, Levy
said.
"Consider the alternative," Levy
said. "Would we be better off with-
out a student government on cam-
pus'?"
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What's happening in Ann Arbor today
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