I ty- £r. *&t IArN .a.. eatne oday: Mostly cloudy. High 55. Low 39. omorrow: Mostly cloudy. High 56. One hundred nine years of editor lfreedom Wednesday October 20, 1999 .. }, .. '' > b ! 4 -%.a.. ,.M . L. co ~ tC', Yl 'C . : a y..:. ...:. .? f+ ',, ix Exv ^u.:SSfT, ti ', 14 . T. "% ' ,,,;b x x< "'JPa s . , xfi ywa, W' v 'f ,... k. 2. . r c m . <.': a .7 , +c ; '+ .: u, :: ... .,., "? ,,, r .. :,; ,.., .1 ,re, , ., , 4 . rr Kra sb, s o x ;" sk a :Ys" , c *a+?., ",m poi t isc7.t ; "& . e ,rz m, "v,,v .. . . a., ; .. ": ro- . ..., :tipf 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- i .~-------- I k