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Wednesday
October 27, 1999

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09.
By Yaol Kobon
Daily Staff Reporter
A recent report published by the
College Board indicates that black,
Latino/a and Native American students
of all education levels are not perform-
ing academically as well as their white
and Asian American peers.
The report measured these students'
14 of achievements once they had
entered college.
"Affirmative Development," a nation-
al campaign initiated by the College
Board to improve minority education
from pre-schools to universities, explains
why blacks, Latino/as and Native
American studies achieve less in college,
and it makes recommendations for
improvement, said Scott Miller, director
of the College Board's National Task
F ce on Minority Achievement, which
ucted the report.
Black, Latino/a and Native
American students "are collectively not
enjoying the same levels of success as
other groups," Miller said.
Education Prof. Michael Nettles said
that to increase opportunities for diver-
sity on college campuses two condi-
tions are necessary. First, schools must
successfully implement a diverse cur-
Sum, and second, schools need to
t rove the quality of education in pri-
mary and secondary schools with pre-
dominantly minority populations, he
said.
There needs to be "across the board
education so that when (minority stu-
dents) come to college they are as pre-
pared as everyone else in the class,"
said LSA junior Juan Calzonzi, co-
chair of La Voz Mexicana.
LSA senior Neftara Clark, an execu
See MINORITIES, Page 2


Sens.
By Anaid Gikdhadas
Daily Staff Reporter
In a sudden break with tradition, lea
U.S. Senate this month agreed to take up
finance reform in earnest, promising
debate and a simple up-or-down vote.
Long-time proponents of reform
mined to banish from Washington th
ence-peddling scheme" they say hast
icism and apathy toward politics, rel
opportunity.
But all hopes of a meaningful debate
last week, as senators sunk into the trenc

tackle campaign finance

ders in the
campaign
thorough
m, deter-
he "influ-
bred cyn-
lished the
dissolved
hes of par-

tisan warfare and Republicans blocked the legisla-
tion for a fourth straight year.
In a ray of hope for Democrats, the Senate could
revisit the issue tomorrow, when Sen. Spencer
Abraham (R-Mich.) is likely to introduce a more
sweeping reform package.
The original bill, co-sponsored by Sens.
Russell Feingold (D-Wisc.) and John McCain
(R-Ariz.), died last Wednesday after an intense
period of ideological bickering and mud-sling-
ing.
Through a series of deft parliamentary maneu-
vers, the bill's backers had gauged last Monday

that a slim majority was on their side.
But they failed to muster the 60 votes
required to fend off a GOP-led filibuster later in
the week, which effectively stalled debate for an
indefinite period and prevented a final vote on
the bill.
GOP leaders hailed the defeat of the ban on so-
called soft money donations the usually large,
unregulated gifts to political parties that propo-
nents of reform say corrupt elections.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the body's
chief Republican fundraiser and a staunch oppo-
nent of campaign reform, said, "It's a horrible

piece of legislation and deserves to be defeat-
ed."
After last Wednesday's victory, he proclaimed
the bill "pretty, pretty dead."
As McConnell and his lieutenants celebrated.
Senate Democrats and a handful of Republicans
expressed frustration and disappointment.
McCain, a maverick presidential contender
who has repeatedly bucked his party on cam-
paign finance reform, resented the disposal of his
bill and pledged to keep on fighting. "No matter
how fierce the opposition, no matter how person
See FINANCE, Page 5

Sunny side up

'U' prepares for
Y2K problems

By Nika Schulte
Daily Staff Reporter
Minutes after the ball drops on
Times Square in New York City to
mark the beginning of another year,
some University staff members will
be checking the cages of the 55,000-
plus animals that call the University
home.
The task of making sure the control
systems that operate the animals' cage
environments are functioning as normal
is one of many measures the University
is planning for Jan. 1, when the real test
of its computer systems will occur. The
34 campus buildings that contain
research animals - the largest popula-
tion on campus to care for during the
Dec. 30 to Jan. 4. "rollover" period -
rank second behind only University
Hospitals in order of priority.
Chief Information Officer Jose-
Marie Griffiths said the University has
made significant progress readying
itself for the potential problems that
may occur if computers are unable to

recognize "00" as 2000 and not 1900
on Jan. 1.
"For the most part we don't imagine
any major catastrophe," Griffiths said.
Earlier this month, Griffiths attended
a presidential roundtable focusing on
post-secondary institutions' Y2K
preparations. The University received
special recognition for successfully
testing its national financial aid system
with the U.S. Department of Education.
In order to combat energy prob-
lems, the University will shut off
Detroit Edison power supplies to
Central Campus and the Medical
Campus on Dec. 30 and power itself,
using its own generators. The
University will reconnect with
Detroit Edison as soon as officials
feel comfortable restoring power
from the outside source.
Griffiths said the University is fortu-
nate to have such a unique solution.
"Not every school has its own power
supply," she said.
See Y2K, Page 5

Clear skies and sun illuminate yellow foliage on the Diag yesterday.


Campaign trail leads Forbes to A2

By Nick Bunkley
Daily Staff Reporter
Hours before Democratic can-
didates Al Gore and Bill Bradley
are set to square off in their firsty
presidential debate, GOP candi-
date and magazine publisher Stever
Forbes plans to bring his cam-
paign to campus today at 1 p.m.J
with a stop at the Michigan Union.
Forbes is scheduled to speak Forbes
about his "New Economy" plan - including Social
Security reform, his 17 percent flat tax proposal and
Vehicle acciden
injures student
By Nick Bunkley
and Nika Schulte
Daily Staff Reporters
A University student was in fair condition yesterday a
noon at University Hospitals after being struck on his mo
cycle by a car making a U-turn on East Washington Stre
11:30 a.m.
Department of Public Safety officials said an Art
Design junior was driving westbound in a 1992 Mitsub
Eclipse and attempted to turn around in front of the Ho
Rackham School of Graduate Studies building when
crash happened.
LSA junior Jimmy Fitzpatrick, who was dire
behind the Mitsubishi on his 1988 Honda motorcy
tried to pass on the left and crashed into the driver's
of the car.
"He apparently thought she was going to pull over;
park," said LSA first-year student Lisa Schuster, who
See CRASH, Pag

changes to Medicare - in the Union's Kuenzel Room
before continuing his one-day Michigan tour later this
afternoon.
"Steve has a revolutionary plan to reform Social
Security, and it affects for a large part Generation X
Americans," said Kendrick Ashton, Forbes' deputy
press secretary.
"Most kids believe they won't see any part of Social
Security," Ashton said.
"With Steve's plan, it goes above and beyond expec-
tations," he said.
The campaign trail has brought Forbes to Michigan
several times in recent months. Forbes' campaign, the

headquarters is in Arizona, has opened a satellite
office in Lansing.
Republican candidates have been especially eager
to woo Michigan voters since the state Republican
Party moved next year's presidential primary to Feb.
22, after only three other states hold primaries.
"Michigan is definitely on our radar screen,"
Ashton said.
State GOP spokesperson Sage Eastman said he
expects the early primary date to bring many of the
party's candidates to the state.
"Michigan is already starting to draw the top-tier
See FORBES, Page 5

ALLISON (ANTI O/aily
A junior Meghan Rohling shares her experiences as a survivor of sexual
Ujuse at Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center's Speak Out In
the Michigan Union Ballroom yesterday.
urvior'Speak
Out agans assault

Karolyn Kokko
r the Daily
Survivors of physical and sexual
abuse shared stories, some in tears,
with a crowd of nearly 100 listeners
during the 13th annual Speak Out
last night in the Michigan Union
Ballroom.
"I am struck by how many women
use the Speak Out as a healing
process," said Laura Monschau, a
unselor at the Sexual Assault
revention and Awareness Center,
which sponsored the event.
When the night began, an uncom-
fortable silence filled the room as
many appeared to be nervous and
scared, but as more people mustered
up courage and spoke, the compas-

ing events - it gives them a chance
to be heard," said LSA senior Amber
Sadiq, a former SAPAC member.
Speakers represented survivors of
many different forms of abuse
including sexual assault, sexual
abuse and domestic violence. Some
had one tragic experience; others had
several.
"I've been sexually assaulted more
times than I can remember," one sur-
vivor said. She said for her, the issue
of trust is one that causes her much
pain. "It's hard to imagine you can
love when those who are supposed to
care about you don't but just take
advantage of you."
LSA junior Meghan Rohling, a
rape survivor, talked about her expe-

SAM HOLLENSHEAD/Daily
Emergency medical crews attend to a motorcyclist identified as LSA junior Jimmy Fitzpatrick after he
was Injured in a collision with a car on East Washington Street yesterday morning.

MSA distributes $150,000 in- funds

By Jeannie Baumann
Daily Staff Reporter
The Michigan Student Assembly's
Budget Priorities Committee and
Community Service Commission dele-
gat,. funds to campus groups last night
as asmbly members unanimously
passed thc. final fall resolutions to a smat-
tering of apps ,use.
BPC Chair Gi:n Roe said he was "very
pleased that the budget passed its recom-
mendations in its entirety. BPC put a lot

ommendations made by the commission.
"Because of that, students will be able
to get their money and start doing great
community service," Masters said.
Of the 352 student groups that request-
ed funds, only two organizations - K-
grams and Dance Marathon - requested
funds in addition to those approved by the
assembly last night.
Representatives of both groups said the
allocated funds do not cover administra-
tive costs. Dance Marathon received

BPC could only meet 20 percent of those
requests with $96,200 in available alloca-
tions.
BPC received nearly 30 additional
requests for funding, with 274 groups
asking for funds this semester.
"There was' less money and more
groups than last term," Roe said.
Roe added that the primary criterion in
,delegating funds "is the groups impact on
campus." Although he described the term
as "very vague;' he said that each com-

Allocating funds
The sdg$t Priorities Committee
alloates $96,200 o $489,152.
requested funds to student groups.
N.The Community Service
Commission allocates $53,300 of
$233,794 requested by community
service groups.
R Dance Marathon receives the most
funding from BPC with $2.000.

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