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One hundred seven years of edftoial freedom
Monday
April 13, 1998
II I i i a 1! 11! i:! 1! 11: 2! 11 i 111! 1.
Clinton
ponders next step in Ireland
World leader
WASHINGTON (AP) Stressing the
importance of U.S. involvement in Northern
Ireland, the chair of the peace talks said yes-
terday he hopes President Clinton will visit
the region to encourage people to accept an
historic peace agreement.
Former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell heralded
Clinton's role in brokering the peace pact for
Northern Ireland last week and he stressed that
all sides must ensure ultimate success of the
deal to end three decades of sectarian violence.
0"This agreement really doesn't finalize
peace. It creates the opportunity for peace
and reconciliation," Mitchell said on ABC's
"This Week." "It's a good first step, but
there's still a long way to go."
Mitchell said he believes a return Clinton
visit to Northern Ireland in the coming
months would bolster support for the peace
pact before a voter referendum on May 22.
Clinton traveled to both Northern Ireland's
capital, Belfast, and Dublin, the capital of the
aster,
Passover
celebrated
By Rachel Edelman
Daily Staff Reporter
How did this weekend differ from all
other weekends?
Easter and Passover fell at the same
time this year, giving many students of
different religions an opportunity to
spend time with their loved ones and
celebrate the holidays.
"I think it's important to get together
with your family this weekend," said
LSA senior Lauren Linkner, who cele-
brated Passover.
The sight of students, community
members and children dressed in their
fanciest Easter clothes was a common
one yesterday, as many gathered to go
to mass and celebrate Easter in church-
es around Ann Arbor.
"We woke up this morning and went
1o mass," said LSA junior Kathy Burke,
ho attended church with a friend.
"Tonight, we're going to dinner at our
athletic trainer's house."
Other students opted to spend the
weekend at home, celebrating the holi-
days with their families.
Linkner went home to West
Bloomfield this weekend to celebrate
Passover at her grandparents' house.
"Our whole family gets together,"
Linkner said. "We do it every year -
.t's really fun."
WLinkner said Passover is a good time
to get together with loved ones.
Education first-year doctoral student
Jack Bernard was unable to go home
for Passover.
"I think for some people traditions
are important," Bernard said. "Some
people spend their time on other
things."
Some students were unable to go
ome this year because they live too far -
way. "For the last couple of years, I -
haven't been able to come home for the
holidays,' said Burke, who is from
Pennsylvania.
Students remaining in Ann Arbor for
the holidays had several options for cel-
ebrating Easter and Passover. E
Many local churches offered Easter
Sunday services. Hillel sponsored several
traditional Passover seders for Jewish stu-
dents. In addition, six campus Christian
rganizations held a rally Friday on the
iag to celebrate Good Friday. 8
LSA senior Tiffin Goodman said
See HOLIDAYS, Page 2A
s applaud U..
Republic of Ireland, in 1995.
"I know he's considering it' said Mitchell,
noting that Clinton is "the only American
president ever to have visited Northern
Ireland while in office (and) the first to make
it a high priority for American policy."
White House spokesperson Joe Lockhart
said a Northern Ireland trip is under considera-
tion by the president but no definite plans have
been made. Clinton will be in the region in mid-
May for an economic summit in England.
Clinton will meet today at the White
House with Mitchell "to get a firsthand
report" from the envoy he appointed three
years ago, Lockhart said.
The president, who spent the weekend at
his Camp David presidential retreat in
Maryland, took more congratulatory tele-
phone calls yesterday from British Prime
Minister Tony Blair, who was at the peace
table, and Kofi Annan, secretary-general of
the United Nations. "They were both basical-
S. efforts to ensure peace
ly to express some gratitude for the presi-
dent's help," Lockhart said of the calls.
Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) a confidant of
Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, said Clinton's
engagement could make or break the deal in.
the upcoming referendum.
"Sinn Fein is fearful of being left alone -
when the euphoria of the peace process is
over, "and we go back to Washington, the
British go back to London - that they would
still be there under the gun of the Unionists;'
the main pro-British Protestant party, King
said on "Fox News Sunday."
"He's the linchpin here and he can keep
this together," King said of Clinton.
Martin McGuinness, chief negotiator for
Sinn Fein, the political wing of the Irish
Republican Army, praised Clinton for
becoming "intellectually and emotionally
involved" in Northern Ireland's future.
"We have been really, really impressed by
his knowledge of the situation and also by his
commitment to the search for equality, for jus-
tice, and for peace in Ireland," McGuinness
said on NBC's "Meet the Press."
Under the peace deal, Northern Ireland
would remain part of the United Kingdom
with a new assembly. But the Protestants and
Catholics in this new administration would
be required to forge formal links with the rest
of Ireland as well.
Hurdles remain in implementing the peace
agreement including the possibility of contin-
ued violence.
"There are people on both sides who
want to disrupt this process, who are com-
mitted to the way of violence, and I expect
they'll step up their activities between now
and the date of the referendum and there-
after," Mitchell said. "My hope is that it
won't destabilize the process."
Mitchell said death threats against govern-
ment officials during the talks added to the
pressure to forge a compromise quickly.
AP PHOTO
Five boys play with an Irish Tricolour flag as they sit on a wall
in West Belfast, Ireland yesterday, where a yearly parade
commemorated a republican uprising In Dublin In:1916.
A seasonalcelebration
A2 considers new
parking policy
By Trevor Gardner
Daily Staff Reporter
Just days after the Ann Arbor City
Council approved a raise in parking
meter rates and despite public outcry
over city parking prices, city officials
are currently contemplating the end of
free Sunday parking.
Councilmember Christopher Kolb
said the rationale for raising meter rates
is based on the high cost of repairing
parking structures. Increasing meter
rates is expected to make the more
expensive parking structures more
attractive in comparison to meter park-
ing.
Kolb also said he is unsure about the
Downtown Development Authority's
recommendation to eliminate free park-
ing on Sundays. "I've not wanted to
raise parking rates," Kolb said, adding
that he would have to be convinced that
the higher prices were in the best inter-
est of Ann Arbor residents.
Councilmember Elisabeth Daley said
the School of Public Policy presented a
study to the city council that outlined
how the city's parking structures can be
self supporting. The council concluded
that the structures can be self-support-
ing without eliminating Sunday park-
ing.
"I guess I want to hear more about
what the DDA has to say. I definitely
think the parking structures and lots
should be self-supporting. I'm interest-
ed to see what the DDA has to say and
I'm interested in hearing from down-
town merchants and other residents,"
Daley said.
Decker Drugs owner Jim Decker said
free Sunday parking is a welcome treat
to his customers.
"I don't really see the point of charg-
ing on Sundays. The rates seem pretty
expensive as it is," Decker said. "I wish
they wouldn't do it on Sundays because
people like coming down and not hav-
ing to worry about getting a ticket or
paying for parking."
Jeremy Moore. store manager at
Harry's Army Surplus. also said free
Sunday parking is beneicial because of
its convenien'e b r cust rmers.
"A lot of'people who come here think
that parking in Ann Arbor is frustrating
anyway. I don't know if (the legislation)
will make them stop coming. It will
affect the amount of hr win done on
Sunday's in general' Moore said.
Ann Arbor residents and local busi-
ness owners expressed displeasure over
the increase in r ing meter prices
increase from 60 to 80 cents that was
approved last Monday. Engineering
first-year student Halima Cherif said
the city's parking does not work to the
benefit of Ann Arbor drivers.
"That's absolutely ridiculous. They
should just get rid of the parking meters
all together. If they are going to raise
that, they should come up with more
free parking," Cherif said. "They must
make so much money off of it. I don't
see why they would have to raise it 20
cents."
Kolb said he disagreed with the
council's decision to raise parking rates.
"I didn't vote for it. The decision was
made because the parking structures
have raised their rates." Kolb said.
Many Ann Arbor residents said the
revenue from the increased parking
rates should be directed towards provid-
ing additional parking in the city. Ann
Arbor resident Rick Sanchez said the
new parking rates he will face when
See PARKING, Page 2A
LOUIS BROWN/Daily
Engineering student Sapana Moudgil rides on the shoulders of LSA senior Prital Shah and ISA senior Neha Shah rides
on the shoulders of LSA sophomore Rishi Moudgil at the Holifest '98 celebration at Palmer Field on Saturday.
Participants covered themselves in dyed powder and danced to celebrate the arrival of spring.
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A SPIRITUAL RENEWAL
Diag rally lauds
Go Friday 4
By Sarah Welshr
Daily Staff Reporter
A sunny afternoon always brings flocks of students
- and preachers - to the Diag, but the Christian stu-
dent groups that held the annual Good Friday rally on
the Diag hoped to create a positive image of their faith - .
while honoring the crucifixion of Jesus.
"What's good about Good Friday?" asked Jim
Kushner, a Chi Alpha campus minister who spoke at"
the rally. "To me, it sounds like a bad joke. What is _
good about executing God?"
Rather than emphasizing the actual Biblical account
of Christ's death, Kushner focused on Christ's under-
standing of the human experience.
Good Friday "talks about a God who intimately
knows me," Kushner said.
Hundreds of students attended the rally, which>
'U' seniors to
revive march
r v v By Jennifer Yachnin
Daily StaffReporter
Along with parents, relatives and friends of graduates
trying to navigate their way around Ann Arbor for spring
commencement May 2, there could be an entourage of
graduating seniors marching down the streets to Michigan
Stadium.
Senior Days '98 committee coordinator Adam Schlifke
said the group is attempting to resurrect a tradition of gradu-
ating seniors meeting together on campus and marching to
the commencement ceremony together.
"It was something that was done around 1910 to 1920,"
said Schlifke, an LSA senior. "Its kind of symbolic of a class
walk together to the stadium.
"Graduation means more than sitting in the stadium and
waiting to stand up," he said.
Schlifke said the procession participants would meet on
Elbel Field for coffee and breakfast, listen to two graduating
student speakers and then proceed down Hoover Avenue to
Greene Street and into Michigan Stadium.
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