LOCAL/STATE The chi Da - nesdy Deember 8. 1999 - 3 IGHER DUCATION Bonfire clothing restricted by Texas licenser he Department of Collegiate *ensing for Texas Agricultural & Manufacturing University has decided not to approve any license for bonfire- related merchandise that would be sold for profit. The university's annual bonfire col- lapsed on Nov. 18 killing 12 Texas A&M students. The university will take proceeds resulting from the sale of bonfire- related items and donate them to its *fire memorial fund. The univer- , also has decided that student organizations can sell bonfire mer- chandise. Inspirations, a clothing retailer for the school, was the first to produce and sell memorial bonfire T-shirts. Proceeds valued at $17,000 have been donated to the fund. Brown students Wrested in Seattle Seattle police arrested four Brown University students and one alum dur- ing a protest against the World Trade Organization last Wednesday. The five individuals spent five days in jail, with almost 600 other protesters, and were released from jail Sunday. The students attending the protest traveled on behalf of Brown's Young Communist League. They were arrest- *or being in a "no-protest zone'" out- side the conference. The Brown students called for the abolition of the organization, citing a lack of public accountability in WTO. Police find body of Texas student Police have identified the body of J Lea, a senior at the University of as, who died of dehydration after breaking his left leg and right foot. The injuries immobilized Lea, which kept him from obtaining food and water. Lea, whose death was ruled as accidental, was found in Shackelford County, Texas, last week. He was reported missing Sept. 24, when he was driving from Austin to Midland, Texas. *he autopsy revealed that Lea's injuries indicate a vertical fall, where he would have landed on the heels instead of the balls of his feet. Officials from the Midland County Sheriff's Department cited lack of facial hair as evidence that Lea could have died as early as Sept. 29. Virginia Tech tudent missing Rebecca Myers, a junior at Virginia Institute of Technology, remains miss- ing in Key West, Fla., after she did not reboard a cruise ship with her family last week. She was vacationing with her family on a Royal Caribbean Cruise. During a short stop in the Florida Keys, Rebecca spent the morning shopping with her 12-year-old sister *ah. Sarah returned to meet her parents, without Rebecca, at noon on Thanksgiving. She told her parents that Rebecca had left in search of a beach to take a nap. Her family discovered that Rebecca was missing 30 minutes after reboard- ing the ship. ole to speak at . uke s winter commencement Elizabeth Dole is scheduled to speak: at Duke University's May Commencement. Dole is a former member of Duke's Board of Trustees. Dole graduated from the Woman's College at Duke in 1958. She was also &ember of Delta Delta Delta sorority. e served as president of the Woman's Student Government Associated and was named The Chronicle's Leader of the Year. -Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter Jewel Gopwani. Wall& . c CU S r r r% "m 4v'%'ffi--S 7rl, t T d fi b cllw[ d I. By Yael Kohen Wly Su-fl -Rcprer Students who have been convicted of a drug-relat- ed crime will no longer be eligible for federal finan- cial aid as of July 2000, according to a provision of the Higher Education Act of 1998. A student with a drug possession conviction will be ineligible for one year from the date of the first conviction, two years from the date of the second conviction and indefinitely from the date of the third, according to the Website for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. An applicant who is convicted for selling drugs are ineligible for federal financial aid two years after the first conviction and indefinitely after the second. Eligibility status can be redressed after completing a rehabilitation program. The new 2000-01 FAFSA forms include a ques- tion about an applicant's drug conviction history. The question on the form does not specify the penalties to financial aid for being convicted ofa drug-related crime. Students are referred to the Website Kwwf-nfca.ed.gov/q28 or instructed to call 1-00- 433-3243 for details. But many have made their opposition to the new provision apparent. The FAFSA question "raises the problem of equal protection' said Rachel King, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union. She argues that the provision is selective in who it penalizes because only those who commit drug-related crimes and not other crimes that could be considered more heinous. The University's Office of Financial Aid has expressed concern that students and family members who fill out the forms will be confused by the ques- tion. Relevant information detailing how their drug- related history pertains to consequences is absent, said Margaret Rodriguez, the office's associate director But Depatment in spkese Jane Glickman said tha wthcn wording the que tion, extra precu ere made sothat stud would not be discouraged from filln out t FAFSA forms because they have to include ther criminal history. The Deparment of Eucation was ier caret i "not to ask more than we need to know' about a stu- dents criminal history, (c kman sid adding tha administrators wanted to be sure not to afect a stu- dent's eligibility for state and instutional aid. The purpose of thi: law ih "to get people in reha- bilitation programs? Rodn guez said But those w ho oppose the prom ision said rehabili- tation is not a realistic ption fr those w1ho needa financial aid. Not all appicants convicted of a drug-related crime are able to in rehabiliation programs becaus proram or they can- Ltmnth the Michia mStudent Assembly pased rsoltio oposng henew provision. h law helps uniersites or edu- ' i e m ram has said "When the deral gornment orks ith educaion, they need o make it easer and more accessible he added. t not keeping drug dealers out of school,' said \ R ep Ab.\ e R afi an A senior. Rafi, who sponsored the res ion, said the law disproportion- atev a ets minonii t's along class lines," he added- Currn m the patment of Education has no databse to ue omtorng whether an applicant has been convite'd Af a drug-related crime. A pplication te iexers are rehing on the honesty of the stues lthough "we wil prosecute if we find out tat peopl ed,' (Hicman said. MSA wraps up for fall term By Jeannie Baumann Daily Staff Reporter In its last meeting of semester and the millennium, the Michigan Student Assembly had no resolutions to pass. Instead, assembly members read through three resolutions that are on the table for the assembly's first meeting after winter break. LSA senior Abe Rafi sponsored a resolution to form a Student Advisor Task Force, which will train students in the processes and language of the Code of Student Conduct. Trained students will be able to counsel their peers who become subject to the Code. "Right now, no one on campus knows about the Code' Rafi said, "When a student becomes entangled in the Code, they are currently allowed to have any adviser that they want, such as your parents. But those people don't know anything about the Code either," said Rafi, adding that the task force is intended to protect student's rights. The Code is the University's disciplinary policy. Students can be sanctioned under the Code for various reasons, such as sex- ual assault and possession of illegal substances, and can receive piunishments ranging from educational workshops to expulsion. MSA led a group that recommended changes to the Code and the Code process, as did the Office of Student Affairs, which oversees the Office of Student Conflict Resolution. If the assembly passes the resolution, representatives will appoint student advisers next term who will undergo a train- ing process and begin Code counseling next March. "It's to help ensure that students get fair and equitable treat- ment because (the advisers) will be trained to do so," he said. MSA Minority Affairs Commission co-Chair Erika Dowdell sponsored a resolution in response to the drop in minority enrollments. According to University statistics released last week, the number of black, Latino/a and Native American students-- defined as underrepresented minorities - has decreased 37 percent, 2.4 percent and 6.2 percent from last fall, respectively. "I, as well as other students are concerned about the drop in minority enrollment and would like to see it reversed," said Dowdell, an LSA sophomore. The resolutions proposes to "work with the Office of Admissions to expand minority outreach and retention pro- grams. Dowdell said she does not have a specific plan to reverse decreasing minority enrollment yet, but she expects to meet with University admissions officials to analyze the programs currently in place. The third resolution, sponsored by Peace and Justice Commission Chair Jessica Curtin, resembles a resolution the assembly passed last year to support a march and rally on Martin Luther King Jr. Day - which falls on Jan. 17 next year. "The march is different because we're hoping to have a more regional demonstration," Curtin said, adding that the MLK Symposium planning committee hopes to include high school students and local residents in the march. Curtin said the committee expects to make presentations at Ann Arbor and Detroit area high schools next week, encour- aging involvement in the march. ALLISON cANTER/Daily Political science Prof. J. David Singer debates nuclear disarmament at Haven Hail yesterday. r fs. debate nuClear disarmament benefits a 5 By Jeremy W. Peters Daily Staff Reporter Weighing the pros and cons of nuclear disarmament, political sci- ence Profs. J. David Singer and Paul Huth discussed yesterday disman- tling the United States' nuclear arse- nal and the recent Senate rejection of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Singer, who is most notably known for his "Correlates of War" project, which changed the way political scientists study internation- al conflict, said he believes the United States should significantly reduce its nuclear capabilities to the point of eventual disarmament. "There are some tendencies to move towards a nuclear-free world. My view is that the United States ought to give some attention to researching this ... and then see if we can turn back the clock;" he said. Huth, who researches policies of deterrence in international politics, said although he does not see the logic in maintaining a large stockpile of nuclear weapons, he believes nuclear disarmament would be pre- mature at this point. He offered his own views - which countered Singer's - on what the United States should do to decrease its nuclear potential. "There is no need to have several thousand nuclear warheads. It would be very plausible to reduce the num- ber of weapons to about 200 ... because I think disarmament is not a politically wise choice at this time," Huth said. "I've always had a problem with the moral implications of using (nuclear weapons). On the other hand," Huth continued, "the threat of nuclear weapons has a significant deterring effect." But Singer, who cited examples such as the accidental discharging of disarmed nuclear bombs off the Spanish coast and in a Brazilian for- est, said he is amazed that no serious accidents involving nuclear weapons have occurred. "We are in a state of readiness where there is an accident waiting to happen," he said, adding that main- taining an arsenal of any size poses a threat to world security. "We both agree on the significant deterrence effect, but what about the provocative effect ... of creating anxiety? flow do we balance these two?" he asked. Huth suggested that the United States concentrate on the purpose of using nuclear weapons as a means of deterrence. "A small nuclear force can serve as a deterrence and we should bolster only that role," he said. Singer maintained that any nuclear potential is a threat and should therefore be eliminated. "The risks of going down to a low level would be manageable, but while we're there, I'd be willing to look at going down to level zero;' he added. The discussion also delved into issues surrounding the Senate's recent rejection of the treaty. The treaty, which bans the explo- sion of any nuclear weapon, has been ratified by 51 countries including France, Great Britain and Germany - all of which have expressed dis- may over the Senate's rejection of the CTBT Odile Hugonot Haber, a member of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and a French citizen said that in light of the Senate's action, she believes many Europeans have negative feelings toward the United States. "Especially after the United States didn't sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the people in Europe have resentment for the type of lead- ership the they promote," she said. Singer and Huth both said they do not view the Senate's move to reject the treaty as detrimental to world security. "I don't think the failure to sign it at this time is a major setback to end- ing nuclear tests," Huth said. Singer said he agreed with Huth on this point but added that many Americans rightfully harbor recip- rocal negative feelings toward Europeans. "They think the Europeans are not serious about security and are freeloaders who basically want to rely on U.S. military capabilities," he said. cativ~e sic. Z Q CHEVELLE MIKE NESS Point #1 Under The Influences w 4 TRANCE GLOBAL NATION 3 Various Artists 0 -J THIS IS RAVI 2 Various Artists IV TO THE MIX Various Artists 1 HARDESERTRANCE 3 Various Artists I c orrection: U University researcher Erie Robertson attended Howard University for his undergraduate degree and completed his post-doctoral program at Harvard University. This was incorrectly reported in Monday's Daily. If1 fi." -i 0A ^wl 0-9 I .71] I