LOCAL/STATE
The Michigan Daily - Monday, February 1, 1999 - 3A
CAMPUS au
RC art gallery to
feature work of
hotographer
A one-person exhibit is scheduled to
open Feb. 5 to display the photographic
=work of LSA graduate Mary Berridge,
.a former Residential College student.
The display will feature photographs of
women with HIV, appearing in the
book "'A Positive Life: Portraits of
Women Living with HIV" Berridge co-
authored the book with award-winning
poet and AIDS activist River Huston.
Berridge has won various awards for
er photography, including a 1996
Iaas Award, a fellowship from the New
York Foundation of the Arts and a 1997
Guggenheim Fellowship.
The display will rn through Feb. 26
,,,in the East Quad Residence Hall RC
<Art Gallery and will feature a slide pre-
sentation at 4 p.m. on Feb. 5. An open-
ing reception will follow the presenta-
tion. Admission is free.
'environmental
lectures continue
Oberlin College environmental stud-
ies and politics Prof. David Orr will
give a lecture today on "Sustainable
Education."
The lecture, in conjunction with the
University's School of Natural
Resources, is part of a series designed to
aise education awareness, boost literacy
d examine values. In addition, the lec-
ture will focus on inspiring visions con-
sistent with an American future that is
environmentally sound, socially lair and
economically prosperous.
The series sponsors encourage mem-
bers of the University community and
.the general public to attend.
The lecture is scheduled for 4 p.m. in
-Hale Auditorium in the School of
usiness.
Prisoner artwork
display to open
Rackham Galleries is scheduled to
host the 4th Annual Exhibition of Art by
Michigan Prisoners beginning Feb. 9.
Organized by English Prof. Buzz
Alexander and Art and Design Lecturer
Janie Paul, the exhibit will display
early 100 works from more than 60
rtists at 24 prison facilities in
,Michigan.
The artwork will encompass an array
of styles, ranging from charcoal por-
trait drawings to abstract collages.
A series of speakers and events will
address prisoner issues during the
exhibit, which will remain at Rackham
until Feb. 24. Sister Helen Prejean,
author of "Dead Man Walking," poet
*mmy Santiago Baca and novelist
-Asha Bandele will be among this year's
speakers. Events include a presentation
,on minimum sentencing, a dialogue
between prison wardens and parolees
and a panel of children and relatives of
the incarcerated. Video interviews with
the featured artist will run continuous-
ly during the exhibit.
Research finds
vlood vessel
growth stimulus
A University research team lead by
Medical and Dentistry Prof. Peter
Polverni, has found a blood vessel
hrowth-stimulating agent. The agent
may have important implications in
,tumor growth and chronic inlammato-
'ry diseases including rheumatoid
rthritis and psoriasis.
The University team found that vas-
cular endothelial growth tactor - a
.natural growth factor - aids angiogen-
esis (blood vessel growth) by stimulat-
ing blood vessel cells and lengthening
"Ihe lives of vessel cells.
m Normally, old or damaged cells will
undergo a process called apoptosis that
ends their lives. Polverni and his fellow
researchers showed that VEGF pro-
,longs cell life.
Polverni's results may give insight
'ito blood vessel growth in tumor envi-
ronments -- a toxic, low-oxygen
region that normally would not support
angiogenesis. Because VEGF allows
angiogenesis to occur in these unfavor-
able environments, Polverni's findings
may lead to new ways to starve tumors
by inhibiting angiogenesis.
Compiled bi' Daily Staff Reporter
Adam Brian Cohen.
GEO fights for IGSI training wages
By Nick Falzone
Daily Staff Reporter
In less than 24 hours, the contract between the
Graduate Employees Organization and the
University will expire.
Throughout the past months of negotiation,
CEO's wage increase request has been the
most contested point during discussions. But
GEO spokesperson Chip Smith said another
matter holds just as much importance in the
organization's eyes: compensated training for
international graduate student instructors.
"This is our membership's No. 1 issue,
maybe second only to the wage proposal,"
Smith said. "We will not sign a contract until
we are satisfied with the way international
GSI training is addressed."
All international graduate students must pass a
three-week training course before the University
will grant instructor appointments. Smith said the
University currently only compensates students
who have never been in the United States before
their training.
GEO representatives said they believe all
international graduate students should be com-
pensated for English language and teaching
training, not just those who are in the United
States for the first time. University Chief
Negotiator Dan Gamble said because interna-
tional graduate students are not employees
until they pass the course, the University is not
obligated to pay them.
"We can't hire them unless they pass (the
course),' Gamble said. "They're not GSIs until
they pass and they can't be a member of GEO if
they don't pass."
Gamble said since these international graduate
students are not GEO employees, the University
cannot discuss their training in GEO's contract
negotiations.
The IUniversity is planning to introduce a new
program for all international graduate students
who take the three-week training session at
tonight's negotiation meeting with GEO, Gamble
said. While he said it would be a definite improve-
ment over the current program, Gamble said it
would not be included in GEO's contract.
Andrea Westland, chair of GEO's Bargaining
Committee, said because a majority of the training
session focused on job-related training, compen-
sated international GSI training should be dis-
cussed at the negotiations.
"One week is English language skills, the other
two weeks are almost all teaching-related train-
ing," Westland said. "This is clearly job-related
training, so it's clearly something that should be
talked about at the bargaining table."
Westland said since many international
graduate students do not receive compensation
for the training session, they are forced to go
into debt immediately upon their arrival in
Ann Arbor.
IlelenYi-Shi, a chemistry graduate student, said
after she finished her training session, she was
shocked to discover she was not paid while other
students were.
"I felt ignored, like no one cared about us," Yi-
Shi said. "I had to teach, take courses and I still
had to worry about how to pay my bills."
Yi-Shi said she will never forget all the suftering
she went through during her first weeks in Ann
Arbor,
"I had to lie to my parents when they called," Yi,
Shi said. "I had to tell them I was happy here, that,
everyone treated me well."
Yi-Shi said she is not necessarily tighting for
compensation but for the rights of internationa
students at the University.
"We were treated very badly," Yi-Shi said. "1
never want that to happen again."
[Mosaic of music
Conference ends
with worso
By Sarah Lewis
Daily Staff Reporter
A weekend long Arab-American
Anti-Discrimination Conunittee
Conference ended yesterday with a
workshop, "Breaking the Silence,"
which focused on domestic violence and
abuse in the Arab-American community.
The workshop, co-sponsored by the"
Sexual Assault Prevention and
Awareness Center, was held in the
Michigan League and attended by a
mostly female audience.
LSA junior Rima Abu-Isa, a peer edu-
cator for SAPAC and an executive board
member of the AAADC, explained that
while domestic violence "affects every-
one across the board," it's important for
Arab-American women to attend an
event centered specifically on them.
"The kind of violence is not unique,
but the kind of power and control takes
on a different form when it's here," said
SAPAC Peer Education Coordinator
Rabeha Kamaluddin, an LSA senior.
Cultural manipulation is a key com-
ponent in the cycle of domestic abuse,
Kamaluddin said.
"A lot of times in Arab households, if
a woman wants to establish financial
independence, a man will say 'be a good
Muslim woman - stay at home,"' Abu-
Isa said, pointing out that independence
should have nothing to do with religion
because Islam is "pro-women."
Another example of cultural manipu-
lation in the Arab community is the stig-
ma attached to the hijab, the scarf many
Muslim women wear to cover their hair.
Kamaluddin explained that the
Quran dictates wearing the hijab as a'
sign of humility, modesty and de-object
tification of women, but said
Americans often consider it a form of
oppression. In addition, Kamaluddin
said, a man may use it as a way to con-
trol a woman by forcing her to wear it.
Abu-Isa explained other factors that
contribute to the structure of power and
control, including the difficult role
Arab-American women sometimes
have to play in relationships when they
are expected to be both traditional and
modern.
SARA SCHENCK/Daily
Mosaic Singers perform Saturday in East Quad Residence Hall. The singers are part of Mosaic Youth Theater in Detroit, a
national touring group that will perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. in April.
Variety of events
mark history month
CONFERENCE
Continued from Page 1A
severe and the crisis will lead to violence and bloodshed, the
second thought is that water is a problem but it can be fixed
and the third problem is that water is a contributing factor to
the problems in the Middle East but not the main cause.
Panel speaker and activist Rania Masri, who works toward
ending U.S. sanctions against Iraq, described the conditions
of Iraqi people especially children.
Children suffer from breast cancer, heart disease, birth
defects and other problems due to the depleted Uranium that
the U.S. government used during the Gulf War, Masri said.
"Depleted Uranium is toxic," Masri said, claiming that the
material has been spreading not only through Iraq, but also
through Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, contaminating food sources.
Masri also used the example of U.S. Gulf War veterans
who are suffering from the so-called Gulf War Syndrome as
proof of the dangerous after-effects of the war.
Masri said sanctions must be lifted so that food and medi-
cine can be brought into Iraq to help the sick people.
The environmental justice panel was only one panel among
several others at the weekend conference.
Ardati said he was happy so far with the results of the cons
ference. "Its going wonderfully. It's very intellectually stimu-
lating' he said, adding that at the end of the conference Arab-
Americans "hope to ... continue networking with other
groups."
By Sarah Lewis
Daily Staff Reporter
Black History Month begins today
and the University, along with other
colleges and universities across the
nation, plans to celebrate with various
educational activities throughout the
month.
The Office of Multi-Ethnic Student
Aftairs and the Housing Administration
Office have organized dozens of events,
ranging from art exhibits and plays to
panel discussions and lectures.
Nearly every University residence
hall has a "special dinner" scheduled in
honor of Black History Month, as well
as a variety of other programs, said
Robbie Townsel, coordinator of project
awareness for Housing Administration.
"We want to promote a learning
opportunity for students, Townsel said,
adding that the University has been
sponsoring events for Black History
Month for about 20 years.
Townsel said the University sponsors
Black :History Month events because
the U.S. population is "deficit" when it
comes to knowledge of black history.
"For African Americans, our history
is not presented in books," she said.
"It's important for people to learn about
this history, know about their ethnicity
and be proud of it. If you don't know
who you are you can't pass it on."
LSA sophomore Howie Ngu said
learning about black history is impor-
tant for all students.
"I think it's important to acknowledge
that there's black history in America,'"
Ngu said, but added that there also
should be opportunities to learn about
other ethnic groups' histories
At Northwestern University, the
Black History Month activities are
sponsored by For Members Only, a
black student alliance, said
Northwestern sophomore Paul Meyers,
the group's treasurer.
'lhe events at Northwestern will
include a talk given by Cornell West
and Rabbi Michael Lerner about black
and Jewish relationships in the United
States. Meyers said, and basketball
player Magic Johnson is scheduled to
speak about AIDS and his life.
"It's a month we take great pride in, a
celebration of our past and inspiration
for our future," Meyers said.
"It's not simply African-American
history," Meyers said. "It shows
American history through other eyes ...
people have to be willing to understand,
learn, feel black history."
Novell Giancana, who is the black stu-
dent group adviser at the University of
California's Berkeley campus - which
like Northwestern has a black student
population of about 6 percent -- also
said it is important for all students to
attend Black History Month events.
Giancana added, however, that the
activities throughout the month are espe-
cially significant for black students.
"It brings students together, espe-
cially on a campus this large and
where there's so few of us," she said,
adding that it is also a learning
opportunity. "Just because people
are of African descent, they don't
always know their heritage,"
Giancana said.
Events include:
Wednesday: "The Future of Our
Race," Panel discussion, Trotter
House, 7-9 p.m.
Saturday: "Evening in Ebony"
Ball, ($5 admission for faculty,
staff and students), University
Club, 8 p.m.-12 a.m.
Saturday and Sunday: "Out of
Africa," Matthaei Botanical
Gardens, 1-4 p.m.
Feb. 9: "COTO: Chocolate on
the Outside," Play on color,
sexuality, hair and politics ($5
admission}, Power Center,
7:30 p.m.
* Feb. 18: Speaker Amiri
Baraka, Chrysler Auditorium,
7 p.m.
"There's always
a spot in the
Park & Ride lot!"
l;; 'ir lL.. ._
LL LLL 1'
( Park it here.)
What's happening in Ann Arbor today