LOCAL/S TATE

The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, March 18, 1998 - 3

HIGHER
EDUCATION
MIT instructor
protests high
tuition with cash
A researcher at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology distributed
money to students attending a seminar
At which he was the guest speaker, The
Chronicle of Higher Education report-
ed Monday.
In protest of high tuition bills, Philip
Greenspun gave away $100 bills to five
students in his computer science class.
The other 20 students in the class who
didn't receive cash were those who had
$eir tuitions paid for by fellowships or
research grants.
Greenspun invited a television camer-
aperson, an Associated Press photograph-
er and two reporters to witness the event.
He said he wanted to refund the esti-
mated cost of the course and that he did
not want to profit from a system he thinks
is unjust. He also mentioned that he
believed it is immoral to participate in a
ystem that takes money from students.
U' of Florida
requires computers
The University of Florida is prepar-
ing for the onslaught of personal com-
puters that will arrive soon on campus,
The Chronicle of Higher Education
reported yesterday.
Last summer, university officials
announced that all 42,000 students
rolled at the university would be
equired to own a personal computer.
Administrators were aware that the
school was not financially prepared for
such an endeavor and are just now
working to upgrade its campus network
and modem banks and seek vendors to
sell computers to students.
Students can add the cost of the com-
puter to their financial aid packages.
Making computers an official require-
ent will force the university to
improve its information technology,
administrators say.
Manchester
College students
get racist e-mail
Local police at North Manchester,
Ind., are still trying to identify the
rder of racist e-mail messages to
lore than 110 minority and interna-
tional students at Manchester College
last week, The Chronicle of Higher
Education reported yesterday.
The messages, which contained
threats and profanity, were sent to. some
members of the college's student orga-
nizations, including its latino/a and
black student unions. The message was
transferred through a California e-mail
*rvice that allowed the sender to
remain anonymous. But campus offi-
cials said they think it originated from
a Manchester computer.
Police also are trying to determine
whether the e-mails have violated any
laws. Because Indiana's hate crime
laws are ambiguous, said the town's
police chief, the department has con-
tacted the Federal Bureau of
Investigation for aid.
College offers
class to teach

cab drivers
La Guardia Community College in
New York City is offering a class in
vwhich the city's cab drivers will be able
to share ideas on how to keep their taxis
clean, exchange pleasantries and drive
arefully. The four-hour class is
1equired for all of the city's 44,000 cab
drivers, The Chronicle of Higher
Education reported yesterday.
The New York City Taxi and
Limousine Commission asked the
college to offer the class, and most
drivers who have completed the
course have reportedly given it favor-
able reviews. The commission hopes
the class will help create a "people-
friendly" atmosphere among the
* ity's cab drivers.
- Compiled by Daily Staff'Reporter
Christine M. Paik from The Chronicle
of Higher Education.

Committee to find new general counsel

By Katie Plona
Daily Staff Reporter
A group of eight individuals appointed by
University President Lee Bollinger will soon
begin a search to permanently fill the post of
University vice president and general coun-
sel.
The group will conduct a nationwide search to
fill the position, which Liz Barry currently holds
in an interim capacity.
"I think it is an extremely important position,"
said Law assistant Prof. Kyle Logue. "My guess is
that we will get extremely good applicants, so I
anticipate we will see a lot of extremely strong
candidates."
Although the search committee will not hold

its first meeting until tomorrow, Louis
D'Alecy, who chairs the Senate Advisory
Committee on University
Affairs, said he believes
the group will conduct the
search as quickly as possi-
ble, as is consistent with
Bollinger's expediency in
filling critical University
posts.
"My guess is he proba-
bly wants to have this one
taken care of by July 1,"
said D'Alecy, a physiology Bollinger
professor.
Law Prof. Theodore St. Antoine, who is chairing

the search committee, said that although the group
has not yet ironed out the specifics of the search,
its members will likely be looking for certain key
attributes in candidates.
"You want someone who is a good, abled,
technical lawyer, someone who will know
how to do equal research," St. Antoine said.
"You need someone with a sense of academic
values, someone who has balanced judg-
ment."
The University's general counsel must be well-
rounded because the person who holds the post
faces a wide range of issues, including affirmative
action and freedom of speech, he said.
St. Antoine said the position is unique because it
combines the law profession with academia. This

factor, he said, will attract applicants from both
areas.
Bollinger recently added the vice presidential
status to the general counsel post, recognizing the
significance of the position.
D'Alecy said that by making this distinction,
Bollinger emphasized the importance of the
University general counsel.
"That sort of reflects his management style,"
D'Alecy said.
D'Alecy said that when the search committee
meets tomorrow, it may start setting the parame-
ters of the search, such as identifying target popu-
lations, defining primary characteristics for poten-
tial candidates and drafting an advertisement to
attract applicants.


approves race talks,
student lobbying group

SARA STILLMAN/Daily
Kappa Kappa Gamma member Rachel Hoffman, an LSA junior, makes an
attempt yesterday to duck under a limbo stick as a part of Greek Week,
Weather doesn't
stop rekW k

By Susan T. Port
Daily StaffReporter
On the eve of its winter elections, the
Michigan Student Assembly passed res-
olutions to create a student lobbying
team in Lansing and have a week of dia-
logue on race relations on campus.
The lobbying team will consist of
three to seven students, depending on
the issues before the state Legislature
during the given year.
Rackham Rep. Jessica Foster, who
wrote the resolution calling for a need
for a lobbying team, said many other
universities have a direct contact
through student lobbyists in their legis-
latures. Foster pointed out that Western
Michigan University has a large num-
ber of lobbyists representing student
needs.
"We can accomplish a whole lot of
good," Foster said. "We need to work
with administration in this bill."
In response to the campus week of
dialogue, Brian Reich, vice chair of the
Campus Governance Committee said
colleges and universities across the
country are supposed to be taking
responsibility for leading the nation in
organizing race related events.
During the week of April 7, MSA
is scheduled to host a campus town
hall meeting to discuss race with
students, faculty and administrators
to spark a discussion on issues con-
cerning race on campus and in the
community.
"It's important that we have a con-
structive dialogue about race in this
University," Reich said. "The entire

world is invited."
Reich said the White House
Inititative on Race office has expressed
its support for the resolution. He added
that his main goal is to have University
students talk openly on race-related
issues.
"Hopefully, the White House will
come and voice its support in person,"
Reich said. "We'll serve as a role model
for the rest of the nation."
LSA Rep. Joe Bernstein said he
doubts the conversation will be able to
stay away from focusing on affirmative
action since it is such an important
issue. Bernstein added that the race dia-
logue is a fantastic idea.
"It's exactly what MSA needs; exact-
ly what the student body needs,"
Bernstein said.
MSA President Mike Nagrant said
the race relations discussion is an effec-
tive way to address the various conflicts
students face at the University.
"This is going to shine a lot of light at
the U of M and show that students here
are at the forefront of debate on these
issues," said Nagrant, an LSA senior.
Nagrant said the race issues sched-
uled to be discussed will not focus sole-
ly on affirmative action, but will
include other issues that affect students
of color on campus.
"It's about getting along across all the
boundaries," Nagrant said. "It's basical-
ly bringing (students) together so we
can transcend our differences."
Nagrant agreed that the student lob-
bying team will empower University
students.

"I think we are providing a coherent
message to the Legislature from a uni-
fied student body," Nagrant said.
MSA Vice President Olga Savic said
that having a lobbying team will
address student needs and concerns,
"It will really give us a constant voice
in the state Legislature so we can mike
our presence known in the Legislature,"
Savic said. "With a student lobby, Nve
can voice student needs to (the)
Legislature and make our position clear
on issues that affect the University."
Savic said the presence of a lobbying
team will let the administration and
Legislature know that students care and
want change.
"I am hoping with a student lobbying
team, the Legislature will learn that stu
dents at the University of Michigan do
care a lot about these issues and want to
make changes," Savic said.
Bernstein said the lobbying team is
needed since "the state Legislature
needs to be more responsive to student
needs."
LSA Rep. Barry Rosenberg said stu-
dents need the lobbying team to be
make sure their needs are addressed in
Lansing.
"It's a really good idea," said
Rosenberg, an LSA senior. "Students
are hurt in the political process. We
don't have continuity. We need more
effective organization to get our voices
heard:'
The assembly passed two other reso-
lutions last night to enhance the general
health care of graduate students and to
help students in dealings with the IRS.

By Erin Holmes
Daily Staff Reporter
After Mother Nature's lousy per-
formance at yesterday's Greek Week
events, she probably would not be a
welcome pledge at any Greek house.
But the Greek community handled
the rain nicely and included all 16
Greek Week teams in the Hot Shot
Shoot Out, just as planned.
"This is pretty much what we
expected in terms of the turn-out,' said
Greek Week steering committee mem-
ber Joe Saad, referring to the 150
Greek members and students who
attended the basketball competition.
Saad, an LSA junior, said the rain
did not hinder the students from
attending the limbo contest or the
shoot out, and he said he hopes for
large crowds for the remainder of the
day's activities.
The rain drenched team flags and
made a mess of the basketball court,
but the temperatures could not put a
damper on the students' spirit on day
two of the Greek Week festivities.
"This event is to raise money and
it earns points for the competition,"
Anne Kiedrowski said as she wiped
mud from her eyes.
The enthusiastic assembly of
Greek community members used the
shoot out to demonstrate their sup-
port for the Greek Week activities
and fund-raising events.
"Every team pays a fee to enter
every event," said David Feiner, an
LSA sophomore and member of
Alpha Epsilon Pi. Feiner added that
the event was not only a competition
but a great way to create unity and
have fun.

Michael Morrison, an LSA sopho-
more and member of Tau Kappa
Epsilon, said the main objective of the
shoot out - and the focus of Greek
Week - is to be social and interact
with other fraternities and sororities.
"This is just a good, old-fashioned
fun time," Morrison said.
Although some students on campus
may consider the Greek Week activi-
ties silly or frivolous, members of the
Greek community said they disagree.
"It raises thousands and thousands
of dollars," said Tricia Kullis, a fifth-
year LSA student and member of
Alpha Gamma Delta. "Why not
have fun while you're doing it?"
Laura Edison, an SNRE first-year
student and member of Alpha
Gamma Delta, held a flag for her
team and shouted victory chants.
"If we didn't have somcof the dumb
events during Greek Week, it wouldn't
be nearly as interesting," said Edison,
referring to the Jello Jump scheduled
to take place in the Diag today.
Greek members cited Greek Week
as the most effective to unite their
organizations to raise money.
"For our age group, it is definitely
the best way on campus to promote
charities," said Maren Christiansen,
an LSA first-year student and Alpha
Gamma Delta member, as she braved
the wind to cheer on her team's
shoot-out representative.
Jordan Leff, an LSA sophomore
and member of Tau Kappa Epsilon,
said Greek Week events could dispel
myths that Greek organizations are
stupid or c conceited.
"A lot of people think the Greek
system is kind of elitist," Leff said.



Correction:
U Gregg Lanier's name was misspelled in an editorial in yesterday's edition of the Daily.

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