I41v
74rnI
Weather
Today: Cloudy. High 53. Low
Tomorrow: Showers. High 57.
31.
One hundred eight years of edzi'o lfreedom
Tuesday
February 16, 1999
[Vol. C19C1 fto. s > _
The NUch4mDally
Regents
co sider
Code
change
By Jewel Gopwani
Daily Staff Reporter
In the midst of Code of Student Conduct
negotiations between Vice President for Student
Affairs Maureen Hartford and members of
Michigan Student Assembly's Student Rights
(t1mission, Hartford has submitted a recom-
mendation to the University Board of Regents to
alter the process by which the Code is amended.
Hartford's recommendation - which has
sparked mixed reactions from the campus com-
munity - charges the Senate Advisory
Committee for University Affairs' Student
Relations Committee with the new responsibili-
ty of reviewing amendments to the Code - the
University's internal discipline system - pro-
Walkout
remnains a
xc S
possibi ulity
fir GEO
By Nick Falzone
Daily Staff Reporter
In the wake of another lackluster
bargaining session, only four days
remain until the members of the
Graduate Employees Organization
are scheduled to turn in their strike
authorization ballots.
f the majority of the 1,600 mem-
bers vote yes, the GEO steering
committee will have the power to
allow many of the University's
Graduate Student Instructors to go
on a walkout or strike.
GEO Chief Negotiator Eric
Odier-Fink said definite action will
occur if the University continues to
show no progress in the bargaining
sessions.
"The GEO membership has to
nee a very strong, very public
statement in support of the strength
of the bargaining platform," Odier-
Fink said.
"We need to let the University
know that we aren't just making
requests, that we're not just kids
looking for a handout."
But University Chief Negotiator
Dan Gamble said any kind of action
C)might take would be harmful
to ome University students.
"They would be using the under-
graduates as pawns," Gamble said.
"I would hate to see anything hap-
pen." As
Gamble also said GEO believes Sc
the University is not moving quickly
enough in bargaining sessions
because they have a misperception
of how negotiations work.
"GEO is a bit naive of what neg
Aosentail," Gamble said. "The
k when they present a proposal
we automatically have to respond By La
with a counterproposal. But if the Daily
University has no interest in the mat- La
ter, it is not going to provide a coun- Fanc
terproposal." a hid
Gamble said this was the reason Mich
the University did not provide coun- bars
terproposals to any GEO issues at the S
last night's negotiation session. At
J ut Odier-Fink said the of dri
University did not only not provide vomi
any feedback, it also refused to dis-
cuss some of the matters' most
important to GEO members.
"They refused to talk about com-
pensated training for international
GSIs and affirmative action poli-
cies," Odier-Fink said. "Dan Gamble
dug his heels in and said the only
thing left to discuss was their wage
proposal and their fraction recalcu-
Earlier this month, the University B
presented GEO with a fraction recal- D
culation proposal after GEO lowered
its wage increase proposal to 9 per- A
cent. cl
The University's proposal would w
recalculate the amount of hours
GSIs work and pay them according- a
ly. vi
Gamble said his team was con- en
crating on the University's wage hi
increase proposal - 2.5 percent
guaranteed or the faculty's annual to
increase - and fraction recalcula- of
tion proposal because these are the
most vital parts of the contract. C
Gamble also said because issues u
posed by members of the
Senate Assembly, MSA and
the University administra-
tion.
Representatives from
MSA, SACUA and
University administration
currently encompass the
Student Relations
Committee.
According to the recom-artford
mendation, the Student
Relations Committee, after
reviewing proposed Code changes, would pass on
the proposed amendments to University President
Lee Bollinger with the committee's recommenda-
tions. Bollinger would then decide which propos-
als would become amendments to the Code.
Section One of the Code currently allows the
regents to amend the document based on pro-
posals by MSA, University administration and
the Senate Assembly by a majority vote.
Hartford, who said she expects the regents to
act on the proposal at their meeting this week,
said reviews of the Code conducted by MSA, the
Office of Student Conflict Resolution and
administrators from other universities prompted
the recommendation.
"This is part of the response to the proposal
that said the Code should be evolutionary and
easily changed to fit the needs of students,"
Hartford said.
r Hartford also insisted that amending the sec-
tion according to her recommendation would
"guarantee that any proposal for change would
be consultative."
Bollinger said he "supports Maureen fully" on
the recommendation.
Regent David Brandon (R-Ann Arbor) also
said he supports the proposal. "It's consistent
with my own personal belief that ... ultimately
the Code is best left up to students, faculty and
administration to modify" Brandon said, adding
that he thinks giving the final decision on Code
amendments to Bollinger is a good idea.
"The president has proven an incredible
capacity for listening" he said. "One of his real
strengths is his ability to reach out and connect
with students and faculty."
Regent Olivia Maynard (D-Goodrich) said
passing the proposal would be a positive change.
"It describes a process in which all parts of the
community are involved," Maynard said. "It
allows the Code to change as the community
needs change."
But Maynard explained that regents will prob-
ably still play a role in the Code amendment
process. "The regents need to hear about it and
get reports about it," she said. "If there are any
problems with the process, there should be
See CODE, Page 7A
Inside: For complete coverage of the University's
Code of Student Conduct, read today's special
section. Page 1B.
trike a pose
Profs. to review
research report
By Asma Rafeq
Daily Staff Reporter
Faculty members are just beginning to take a
look at the proposals made in a report released
Friday by the University's Life Sciences
Commission.
The report, titled "Challenges and
Opportunities in Understanding the Complexity of
Living Systems" details the commission's recom-
mendations for enhancing life sciences at the
University, including the recruitment of 45 new
researchers, the creation of an Undergraduate Life
Sciences Center and several new interdisciplinary
institutes.
The National Research Council's 1993 rankings
of life science graduate programs the most
recently released - gave the University's program
above average marks. But there is room for
improvement in the University's life.sciences pro-
gram, said University President Lee Bollinger.
"We're very good at improving, but (we're) not
top-notch except in certain pockets of research and
teaching,"he said.
In the coming weeks, Bollinger, Provost Nancy
Cantor and Vice President for Medical Affairs
Gilbert Omenn will collect feedback about the
proposals in discussions with faculty and students
in the appropriate departments. -
Chemistry Prof. Vincent Pecoraro said the steps
to re-invigorate life sciences at the University are
much-needed.
"A university that isn't positioned to do research
in life sciences isn't positioned for the future"
Pecoraro said.
Pecoraro said he appreciated the commission's
goal of linking together researchers from the
College of Literature, Science and the Arts, the
Medical School and the College of Engineering.
Some proposals of the
Life Sciences Commission:
O Focus on five initiatives:
genomics, neuroscience,
structural biology,
biocomplexity
and biotechnology
O Re-invigorate
recruitment effort of
world-class scientists.
Create an Undergraduate
Science Center, increasing
Bollinger the number of
undergraduate life science
courses and concentrations.
Create a common research building in a site
linking the Medical Campus with North
Campus and Central Campus.
O Establish several other inter-disciplinary
research institutes with state-of-the-art
facilities.
"Chemistry, physics and biology may not have
had some of the resources available to the general
biomedical community;" Pecoraro said.
Biology Prof. Steve Easter said he greatly wel-
comes the renewed attention on life sciences.
"Michigan has let the ball flip a bit - life sci-
ences were undernourished for a while," Easter
said.
But Easter said he is approaching the recom-
mendations with "guarded optimism," expressing
concern that the proposals focus too much on bio-
medical areas - leaving some of the University's
highly-ranked non-medical biology areas, such as
See COMMISSION, Page 2A
KELLY MCKINNELL/Daily
a practical joke, some University students dressed the naked statues located near the Medical
hool yesterday.
4SU's Greek system goes 'non-functional'
uren Gibbs
Staff Reporter
st Wednesday, Fox 2 News sent reporter
hon Stinger undercover to East Lansing with
[den camera to explore alcohol issues at
igan State University. After visiting several
near campus, Stinger was invited to a party at
igma Phi Epsilon fraternity.
the party, "we found there was lots and lots
nking; people.were incapacitated, passed out,
ting," said Kevin Roseboro, special projects
manager for Fox 2 News. "Students who were
drinking told our reporter that they were under-
age."
Immediately following the report, Michigan
State's Interfraternity Council and Panhellinic
Association approved a measure that will make the
Greek System "non-functional" for 30 days.
Terry Denbow, vice president of university rela-
tions at MSU, said "non-functional" means all
social events will be suspended during the next
month.
"The reason for this move is to allow for reflec-
tion of the members of Greek system and try to
find alternative ways to have social activities at
this university," Denbow said.
Denbow explained that due to recent events,
including the news broadcast, Michigan State's
Greek system has earned a negative image -
depicting alcohol as the center of social activity.
"The news report portrayed members of the
Greeks system as uncaring. There was a woman
passed out on a couch and everyone just walked by
her," Denbow said.
The report was not the only reason for the 30
day moratorium, but it was the catalyst, said
Michigan State's Coordinator of Greek Life Billy
Molasso.
"There have been a number of causes for this
action. Members of the Greek community are
clearly leaders on university campuses, and it is
necessary for them to take the bull by the horns
and find solutions to the problems which exist,'
See GREEK, Page 7A
U'
alum gets
B\LBco ntract
y Stephen A. Rom
aily Sports Writer
When Rob Krohl sat down in an
nn Arbor coffee shop recently, his
ass ring boasting the block "M"
as easily noticeable.
After talking about his many
ccomplishments and expressing his
ibrant personality, it became appar-
nt that he must have a large "S" on
4s chest as well.
Considering what Krohl is about
embark on, he'll need every ounce
f superpower he can muster.
Next month, Krohl plans to sign a
ontract to be a professional baseball
mnpire.
college as a merchandiser for the
Budweiser Company, his aptitude
and initiative led him to take advan-
tage of everything the University had
to offer. And as a reward for com-
pleting his education, Krohl's father
promised to pay the $2,500 fee for
enrolling in professional baseball
umpiring school, held every January
near Orlando, Fla.
After completing the Jim Evans
Academy of Professional
Umpiring's rigorous five-week train-
ing program, Krohl became one of
17 out of 105 enrolled who were
rewarded with a two-year contract to
umpire "Single-A" baseball starting
in R~~n
GOP leaders
teamK up to
push tax cuts
WARREN, Mich. (AP) - Republican leaders spent
Presidents Day trying to put impeachment in their rearview
mirror and map out the route ahead - including a $743 bil-
lion tax cut plan.
Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) joined
Michigan Gov. John Engler, U.S. Sen. Spence Abraham (R-
Mich.) and U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-Bloomfield Hills)
for a town hall-type meeting in front of about 400 people yes-
terday. A bucolic banner behind them spelled out their slo-
gan: "Listening to America - Tax Cuts for Everyone."
Lott said the debate over what to do with a federal budget
surplus estimated at $2.56 trillion over the next decade was
clear: "Do you want all this surplus spent by Washington, or
do you want it returned to the neople?"
I