LOCAL/STATE
The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, March 24, 1999 - 3
1 HIGHER
EDUCATION L
UCLA GSIs
vote to unionize
as UAW affiat
Joining the 18 other graduate student
instructor unions at institutions across
the nation, Graduate Student Instructors
at the University of California at Los
Angeles have voted to unionize.
- The vote places the union in affiliation
with the United Auto Workers and paves
the way for UC's seven other campuses.
The GSI's said they need a union
because they do a substantial amount
of the teaching at UC's research
schools. Typically, the instructors
t oeceive $15,000 for 15 to 20 hours of
'~okeach week.
As recently as December, UC assis-
tants walked off the job, marking the
fourth strike of its kind in six years.
tWisconsin student
senate seeks 3
ballot box thieves
The Associated Students of Madison
Student Judiciary and Elections
Commission members say they are
close to confirming the identity of three
individuals who attempted to steal a bal-
lot box during the ASM elections last
month at the University of Wisconsin.
ASM commissioners said tips have
produced three names, and information
such as license-plate numbers are being
used for confirmation.
Commissioners said if the theft had
*ot been stopped by an election worker
and bystanders the election could have
been seriously hindered. In addition to
ASM committees, UW Police and
Security and the Dean of Students
'Office are conducting investigations.
If found, those responsible for the
htleft may face consequences from the
'tudent judiciary, the university and the
Dane County District Attorney.
MViami prof. sues
to wear a thong
G. Roger Davis, an associate Music
professor at Miami University, likes to
wear a thong bathing suit at the campus
recreational sports center. But accord-
ing to the university's aquatic dress pol-
icy, thong bathing suits are prohibited.
As a result, Davis is suing the uni-
versity, claiming the policy violates the
*onstitution and the laws of the United
States. Davis said he feels the university
is infringing upon his first amendment
rights and said his case is similar to
cases in the '60s and '70s in which men
defended their right to have long hair.
In the past, the university has contact-
ed Davis about his swimsuit to inform
him they had received complaints and
that his thong would no longer be per-
tutgers may use
ads to help image
In order to improve the image of the
university, the Rutger's University
Senate approved a resolution at its
meeting earlier this month to support
mn increase in advertising.
Robert Kubey, chair of the senate's
Committee on Rutgers University and
the Public, said many prestigious uni-
*rsities across the nation routinely
advertise their programs to the public
and Rutgers should do the same.
' Kubey hopes the advertising will
'ttract quality applicants. Currently, a
)pmmittee to oversee advertising is
being formed and will include repre-
sentatives from university groups and
divisions interested in advertising.
Colorado State
sponsors Disability
Awareness Days
After planning for eight months, the
Resources for Disabled Students
Center at Colorado State University is
sponsoring its annual Disability
Awareness Days.
With more than 20 planned lectures,
workshops and activities, students can
*rticipate in activities that allow them '
1 experience what it is like to have a'
disability and watch dramas depicting
challenges disabled students face.'
Director of RDS Rosemary Kreston
said she hopes the week's events will
educate students and change attitudes.
-Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter
Nika Schulte.
'U' Hospitals continue
Y2K assessmentsJ
. :... i
By Asma Rafeeq
Daily Staff Repoiter
Many wonder and some worry about the state of
affairs when the clock strikes midnight on the final
eve of the millennium. Will the world run amok
because computerized equipment, built to handle
only two-digit years, blunders with zero-zero?
Making the transition to the year 2000 is especial-
ly critical for hospitals and other health care facilities,
said Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs
Gilbert Omenn.
"There has to be a maximal priority because we
have life-sustaining equipment," Omenn said.
"There's a lot at stake."
For more than two years, officials at the University
Health System have been evaluating their equipment
to make sure no computer shutdowns will occur Jan.
1, 2000.
Hospital officials classified all biomedical equip-
ment into three risk level groups, said Theodosia
Spaeth, who serves on the University Health System
Year 2000 Steering Committee. In an important step
this month, the institution finished assessing and cor-
recting all biomedical equipment deemed "risk level
one" - more than 3,000 items such as ventilators
and defibrillators that directly affect patient lives.
"We feel we have been preparing fastidiously for
the Y2K transition," Omenn said.
Only about 5 percent of the risk level one equip-
ment was found to be potentially troublesome,
Spaeth said, and these 5 percent are either already
corrected or in the process of being corrected.
"It's a major milestone, but we have many more
(items) to look at," said Spaeth, manager of internal
communications for the health system.
There are about 10,000 items of biomedical equip-
ment in risk level two and many more in risk level
three, Spaeth said.
Equipment in these risk levels is less critical to
patient care, she explained. Risk level two equipment
includes x-ray and imaging equipment, while level
three includes items such as televisions and scales.
Besides biomedical equipment, health system offi-
cials are also evaluating administrative, research and
networking equipment.
"There's so many elements to this, and that's what
makes it difficult," Spaeth said.
But even if all internal functioning at the health
system continues perfectly on the first day of the new
year, health system officials must also worry about
difficulties coming from outside sources - suppliers
of water or electricity, for example.
"What are we going to do if our vendor suppliers
fail us?" asked Spaeth. "There are problems that
could come to us that we can't control.
The Y2K steering committee's preparations have
included contingency planning by sending more than
3,000 letters to all the health system's suppliers to
make sure they were also making appropriate
arrangements.
Further discussions and phone calls will follow the
letters for the health system's most crucial suppliers,
Spaeth said.
The Medical School is making its own prepaia-
tions for year 2000, said Glenn Hiller, associate direc-
tor for the Medical School Information Systems.
One major task facing the medical school isdo
make sure all specimens in research labs will make it
through the Y2K transition.
"What our real goal in this is, is that there are no
big surprises - I don't mind a few minor surprises,"
Hiller said.
/"'r.
Women, meat
oppressed
ByaelKohen
Daily Staff Reporter
Displaying graphic slides and voicing interesting perspec-
tives, Carol Adams, an activist working for justice on issues
including sexism, racism, environmentalism, class discrimi-
nation and animal abuse, presented "The Sexual Politics of
Meat" slideshow last night to a captivated audience.
The lecture presented slides - from advertisements,
newspapers, magazines, cartoons, pornography and others
- depicting pictures of hanging, fleshy animals, Betty Boop
and slabs of meat. The slides, Adams said, were intended to
expose the extreme hostility to women and animals, which
serves as an example of oppression in society.
"How does someone become a piece of meat?" Adams
asked. She answered her own question by explaining that
before someone can be "used" they must be seen as "usable"
and "consumable."
Adams said there are three problems with images and
society that create the problems of animal rights and sex-
ism- consumption, fragmentation and absent referent.
Although humans believe themselves to be superior to
animals, they are animals, Adams said, adding that by eating
meat humans are practicing a belief of superiority.
"Just as women can be animalized, animals can be femi-
nized," Adams said, using two examples to prove her point.
Adams displayed two slides - one an advertisement for
smooth women's stocking and the other a picture of a deer's
legs. Adams compared the two pairs of legs, explaining that
the women's legs were similar to that of the deer.
The other image was of a pig lying on a couch with paint-
ed toe-nails and pink panties. "Animals are not only depict-
ed as free, but sexually free,"Adams said.
The big shift between humans and animals occurred
when humans became bipedal and were no longer on all
fours, Adams said.
Another theme brought out in the lecture was "fragmen-
tation." "Pornography fragments women into body parts,
Adams said, adding that meat-eaters think of meat in terms
of food or parts rather than in terms of a whole animal.
Committee to
evaluate stocks
DARBY FRIEDLIS/Daily
Activist Carol Adams presents a slideshow last night
depicting the "Sexual Politics of Meat"
Absent referent,- the absence of acknowledging that the
meat was ever an animal - is another problem within soci-
ety, Adams said. She also used the example that rapists sep-
arate females from people.
"Consuming images are in our face all the time," Adams
said, while showing slides that depict women as animals or
animal-like. Society often fails to realize the connection
between sexism and animal abuse to these images, Adams
said. Adams said there are several solutions to resist the
oppression that is caused by creating such images- con-
sciousness of the problem, new images, restoring the absent
referent and direct action.
Students and members of the Ann Arbor community
agreed with Adams.
"A lot of the analogies she made ... they seem like things
that were always out there we just never connected them in
our minds," Engineering junior Ami Shah said.
' "A lot of people don't take animal rights seriously" and
there are similarities to human rights as well, said LSA
junior Rodolfo Palm-Lulion, the event's publicity chair.
"Whether or not you agree, a dialogue furthers truth,"
Palm-Lulion said.
But Engineering first-year student Shawn Buchanan said
he felt Adams did not address the problem men are facing
with the same issues. Men are also exploited, he said.
By Michael Grass
Daily Staff Reporter
As part of the continued evaluation
of the University's investment in
tobacco stocks, a committee of stu-
dents, administrators, alumni and fac-
ulty will be formed to look at and rec-
ommend appropriate actions on the
issue.
"The purpose of the committee is
to study whether the ownership of
tobacco stocks in the investment port-
folio is antithetical to the University's
values," University Chief Financial
Officer Robert Kasdin said.
Two years ago, the Senate Advisory
Committee on University Affairs
began to address the University's role
in tobacco investments.
In October 1997, the Senate
Assembly passed a resolution calling
on the University to withdraw its
investments in tobacco stocks.
The Michigan Student Assembly
also passed a resolution in January
supporting tobacco divestment.
SACUA members plan to hold a
symposium on the issue in April to
educate the University community on
the complex issue.
"SACUA has played an important
role in this issue," Kasdin said.
The University currently has about
$25 million of funds invested in
tobacco stocks.
Kasdin said the University Board
of Regents has the final decision on
whether to divest its tobacco stocks.
Although many on campus support
tobacco divestment, Kasdin said the
decision will not be influenced by
those who have strong feelings
against smoking or the tobacco indus
try.
Kasdin said the members of the
new committee have not been select;
ed yet.
MSA Rep. Sumeet Karnik, an LSi
junior, said he was happy with the
plans to form the University commit;
tee. "It's a step in the right direction,'h
he said.
Karnik said regental bylaws passe4
in 1978-79 require a committee o
students, alumni, faculty and admin.
istrators to address divestment issues;
and stressed that students are very,
important in the process.
"There is no doubt students have t4
be involved - we're a main part o
campus," he said.
The tobacco divestment talks ar
similar to those held in the late '70s
when the University considered with;;
drawing investments in companie(
conducting business in South Africa'
which at that time was under the
Apartheid system.
The developments in the '.70s were
very important to the University;
Karnik said, because they "set up a
plan of action addressing futures
issues."
The assembly's recent resolution,
was based in part upon the originalO
bylaws of two decades ago, he added
Karnik said the committee "wouli
discuss this issue and make a recom
mendation to the regents."
"This is what we wanted," he said.
APA heiit.Lage m 11onthi
to battle stereotypes
By Yae Kohen have distinctly different cultures "the
Daily Staff Reporter one thing that links us all together is
P fa
Although Asian Pacific Americans
are culturally and ethnically diverse
Asian Pacific American Heritage
month is a celebration of all of these
diverse cultures in the hope of creating
awareness and pride on campus.
In 1992 former President George Bush
signed a proclamation designating May
to be the nationally recognized month of
Asian Pacific American Heritage,
according to the events program.
The University's month-long pro-
gram is a part of this national recog-
nized month but because University
students are not on campus in May,
UAAO has changed the date to accom-
modate the students.
The celebration of APA heritage began
March 17 and will run through April 17.
"UAAO is an umbrella group," said
Khoa Nguyen, a program coordinator
at the Office of Academic and Multi-
Cultural Initiatives.
The group encompasses 23 indepen-
dent Asian Pacific American groups on
campus and also includes students who
are not affiliated with APA groups.
Each separate APA group is organiz-
ing and co-sponsoring its own event.
UAAO is lending its support by co-
sponsoring and coordinating these
events into a month-long program.
"We're here to promote their pro-
grams," said UAAO chair Kim Pham,
an LSA junior.
According to a UAAO statement its
goal is "striving for a unified Asian-
Pacific American voice through
activism, pride and awareness."
Although the various Asian groups
that we're politically recognized as one
group;" Pham said.
Within the group, members of
UAAO recognize these cultural differ-
ences Pham said, but because APAs are
always classified in one group -Asian
American- there was a need to unify
and create a community of support.
"We are from a similar background,"
said LSA sophomore Keslie Hui, UAAO
internal relations chair. She added that
although the groups arc culturally differ-
ent various APA groups are able to relate
and associate with each other.
The group holds a weekly meeting
where representatives from APA groups
share their views and gain support for
their group, Nguyen said.
Events include cultural showcases of
dance, martial arts, folk play, educa-
tional workshops and lectures. Also
included in the program are concerts,
exhibitions and film showings. For
more information programs are avail-
able at OAMI, located in the Student
Activities Building.
The key event of the month is the
Generation APA Cultural Show, sched-
uled for March 31. The show is a stu-
dent-run pan asian show with perfor-
mances from many different cultural
and ethnic groups. Included there will
be dance performances ranging from
traditional Filipino, Chinese, Arabic
and Indian dances to contemporary hip-
hop dancing, skits and singing.
APAs want to "get our community
... more involved on issues and more
educated on issues" and to "present
ourselves in our culture, Hui said.
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