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One hundred nine years of editor lfreedom
Wednesday
October 20, 1999
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FL'
may not rell -Ai
National City deal
Ky Jeannie Baumann
)aily Staff Reporter
The green and white signs of National City
3ank may no longer be the most accommodating
o University students on this maize and blue cam-
gwhen the bank's five-year contract with the
Jniversity expires June 2000.
Although National City is the University's pri-
nary bank, University administrators have been
onsidering giving its banking business to other
inancial institutions.
"Nothing has been ruled out at this point.
dational City has been good to work with, but
here's a chance that we wouldn't resign another
oitract," said David Doyle, the University's coor-
linator of marketing and sales for the Department
inancial Operations.
in selecting a bank, Doyle said the University
considers the quality of service a top priority. "We
want to know what the different banks can provide
to the students, faculty and staff and look for ser-
vices that are most beneficial to the University's
needs."
But like most contracts between the University
and the private sector, Doyle said a bidding
process helps determine the University's choice.
He said the financial operations department cur-
rently is analyzing different bids for the new con-
tract, and like the last process, the bids are highly
competitive.
Doyle said the University will ultimately sign
with the bank that provides the best combination
of service and a high bid.
The University's initial contract was made with
First of America, but National City has since pur-
chased the company. Doyle said changes in own-
ership have affected both sides of the banking
business.
"When we first started out with First of
America, we were pretty happy because they were
an outgoing bank and reached out to students.
National City wasn't really into the campus envi-
ronment, so it was something that they had to grow
into. It was a new experience for them and for us,"
Doyle said.
Even though the change in ownership occurred
in November 1998, recent policy changes in
National City accounts have affected student's
banking methods.
On Oct. 1, the self-serve checking account
replaced First of America's campus first account,
the common checking account for students. Under
this plan, all transactions must be made at an auto-
matic teller machine or the customer is subject to
a $3 service charge in addition to an initial $3
monthly fee, explained Peg Caldwell. manager of
the National City branches on South U inersty
Avenue and East Liberty Street.
"We found that statistically, students use the
ATM more than anything, so this is a way to cut
down service fees," Caldwell said.
In response to alleged student complaints about
this new type of account, the Michigan Student
Assembly has formed a joint declaration with the
Western Student Association, the student govern-
ment of Western Michigan University, to make
banking policies more "student friendly." WMU
has a similar contract with National City that ends
at about the same time as the University's contract.
"We are trying to support each other to get the
best banking options for all our students," WSA
See NATIONAL CITY, Page 2
Bank on it:
The five-year contract between
the University and National City
Bank expires June 2000.
The University will use a
bidding process in part to
determine its next contract.
The University will consider
other banks in its process to
secure a new contract.
* Members of the Michigan
Student Assembly are working
with the student government at
Western Michigan University to
to make accounts more "student
friendly."
A
Wi'
TC
Meningitis
00
strain identified
in MSU student
'
Museum
j'4e-op ens
with new
exhibits
By Robert Gold
Daily StaffReporter
Elizabeth Wylie of Ann Arbor
turned 4 years old yesterday. But she
wasn't the only one having a party.
Elizabeth and 300 other local pre-
schoolers, students and parents spent
part of yesterday celebrating the grand
re-opening of the Ann Arbor Hands-
On Museum.
The recently renovated and expanded
museum welcomed visitors through its
w bright red doors after being closed
,r more than 40 days.
The science museum, a popular com-
munity destination for the past 20 years,
increased in size fourfold with its
30,000-square foot addition. Visitors
yesterday were greeted with more than
25 new science exhibits, five extra gal-
leries and several educational programs
in development.
By Adam Brian Cohen
and Jewel Gopwani
Daily Staff Reporters
While Michigan State University
sophomore Adam Busutill is still
hospitalized after being diagnosed
with the Y strain of bacterial menin-
gitis last week, doctors at
University Hospitals have nearly
ruled out bacterial meningitis for a
University student admitted yester-
day.
University Health System
spokesperson Cara Gavin said the
female student, who lives in Bursley
Residence Hall, "most certainly has
viral (meningitis), which is real
good news."
Gavin said University doctors will
have a definite diagnosis tomorrow.
She added that doctors said the
University student's condition is
"not really serious" and "viral
meningitis should not really be a big
concern here."
Glynda Moorer, director of
MSU's Olin Health Center, said
symptoms of viral meningitis
include fever, headaches and neck
and back pain. Initial symptoms of
meningococcal meningitis are simi-
lar, but fevers and headaches are
more severe.
Moorer added that viral meningi-
tis is not life threatening.
Nearly two weeks ago, Busutill, a
resident of MSLU's Wilson Residence
Hall, was admitted to Sparrow
Hospital in Lansing for meningo-
coccal meningitis. Since his admit-
tance, MSU has dispersed antibi-
otics to those who had come in con-
tact with Busutill, such as residents
See MENINGITIS, Page 7
SAM HULLENSHEAD/Dady
Malik James-Danielson plays with toys in water at the grand re-opening of the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum yesterday.
Renovations to the museum include KidsWorks, an area designed specifically for pre-school-aged children.
The museum, originally constructed
in 1978 in the building that formerly
housed the city's central fire station, has
more than 200 exhibits.-In 1995, the
museum began a program to raise $4.2
million to build an addition. With the
new addition and programs in the
works, the museum has seen its renova-
tion budget needs rise to $6.5 million
and has raised $5.5 million to date,
Museum Educator Becky Hattner said.
Donations from corporations, associ-
ations and individual museum members
have funded the building and exhibit
construction.
Many students and parents said they
were enamored with the museum's
bright colors and open space.
Elizabeth Wylie's mother Christine
Wylie of Ann Arbor was impressed
with the addition of KidsWorks, a
gallery set aside just for pre-school
children and their parents. She
brought her three children, Elizabeth,
Austin, 2, and Brian, 10 months.
Elizabeth and Austin shared laughs
when crouching inside a 12-foot
model of a 1927 fire truck.
"They have stuff for all ages,"
Christine Wylie said.
Museum President Jim Frenza said
KidsWorks is monumental because the
original museum did not have much
ava ilable for children of pre-school age
and younger.
Many parents said they appreciated
the museum's new additions and clean
environment.
Scott Sunberg brought his I I-month-
old son Simon to soak in the fun atmos-
phere. Sunberg of Jackson, Mich., said
he has brought his son before, but now
more activities are "kid-friendly."
Kathleen Cayne of Indiana, while in
See MUSEUM Page 2
Student labor activists detail new code
ly Michael Grass
1aily Staff Reporter
Months of work by students and human rights groups
nvolved in the national anti-sweatshop movement came
o fruition yesterday in New York when United Students
Xgainst Sweatshops released their "Workers Rights
onsortium."
'Se policy is an alternative to the White House-
;ponsored Fair Labor Association's code of labor stan-
lards. The FLA is a coalition of corporations and
iuman rights groups created to monitor the apparel
ndustry. The groups came together in the wake of the
1996 scandal following the first time labor activists
liscovered sweatshop conditions in factories produc-
ng a line of clothing for talk show host Kathie Lee
3ifford.
On Monday, Brown University became the first
chool to sign on to the WRC. The University of
Michigan has not made a decision on the policy but an
advisory committee is reviewing the code and hopes to
make a recommendation to University administrators by
May.
Along with basic human and labor rights state-.
ments, the WRC outlines plans for an independent
monitoring system using human rights organiza-
tions.
LSA junior Peter Romer-Friedman, a member of the
campus Students Organizing for Labor and Economic
Equality, said that under the WRC, if one of a company's
factories is found to have sweatshop conditions, the
entire company loses WRC endorsement and the com-
pany jeopardizes its contract with a university that has
signed onto the WRC.
The WRC requires universities who sign onto the
code to call on their apparel manufacturers publicly to
disclose the locations of their factories, so they can be
inspected for labor violations.
The threat of contract termination and "public pres-.
sure to comply will force companies to improve condi-
tions," Romer-Friedman said.
Romer-Friedman, who worked with other student
labor activists across the nation this year to develop the
policy, said the WRC is the best monitoring system cur-
rently available.
"It is a working document and is not rigid like the
FLA,' said Romer-Friedman, adding that the student-
driven WRC is more realistic and applicable than the
FLA.
The release of the WRC kicks off anti-sweat-
shop rallies, protests and other events scheduled
to be held on more than 100 college campuses
today.
In protests on college campuses this year, anti-sweat-
See LABOR, Page 7
SAM HOLLENSHEA/Daily
Andrea Cooper, mother of rape victim Kristin Cooper, speaks about counseling rape
survivors in the Modern Languages Building last night.
Mother promnotes
rape "cousln
Juggle fever
Speakers ready for,
National Day of Action
By Jennifer Sterling
Daily Staff Reporter
With rallies, workshops, discussion
and debate, proponents of affirmative
action will push the issue before mem-
bers of the campus community tomor-
row with two goals in mind - defend-
ing the social policy and educating peo-
ple about it.
Tomorrow marks the National Day
address campus audiences.
Intervenors involved in two lawsuits
challenging the University's use of race
as a factor in the admissions processes
of the College of Literature, Science
and Arts and the Law School also plan
to speak.
"We hope to send a message to the
country that the U of M is a place that
is going to fight for integration and
By Charles Chen
For the Daily
Nearly four years after the suicide of
her daughter Kristin, Andrea Cooper
spoke in front of an audience of 300
students yesterday evening in the
Modern Languages Building to stress
the importance of seeking assistance
for rape survivors.
Kristin Cooper committed suicide on
New Year's Eve 1995 in her family's
home in Littleton, Colo. Her death
resulted from the depression she expe-
rienced after being raped by her
boyfriend, her mother said. A friend
raped Kristin Cooper the summer
before her sophomore year in college,
In creating awareness of the signs of
rape and steps a survivor should take in
seeking help, she discussed the signs of
depression. "These are things to watch
for," Cooper said. "I want to see if stu-
dents are familiar with these symp-
toms."
In her speech, Cooper gave several
rape statistics to inform students of the
presence of this crime in everyday life.
One out of four college-age women
is raped, Cooler said, and more than 50
percent of college-age women have
experienced sexual aggression from an
acquaintance.
She also said that "suicide is a per-
manent solution to a temporary prob-
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